Dies to Removal

Three PTQs, three WMCQs and a GPT over the next two months; going to be dealing a lot of arbitrarily large amounts of damage.

If it makes you feel better, I read an interview with Kenji Tsumara where several years ago when he, Shuhei, Shouta, and Saito all lived together and subsequently each won player of the year, while making there "pledges" or whatever, Saito pledged to be the best deckbuilder because he was the shit player of the group.

It could be worse; I'm at ~80% win rate at cel. Now Dechs can tell me again that I need to play better players

Every minor tweak I made was an improvement on the standard list. Also don't play Keranos, it's just a worse Batterskull.

Did you notice any weekness of this deck? It really looks like a strongest deck in the metagame, with ups I win option plus really big distruption on turns 1-3 before it can combo kill.

It's the best deck in the format. You're two worst matchups are about 50% (Jund and UWR) if they're good players; I went 3-0 vs Jund (beating one top 10 ranked player) and 1-0-1 vs UWR, so meh. I wouldn't play any other deck though I would make some small changes.

Sleight of Hand should be 1 Izzet Charm.
1 Ancient Grudge should be 1 Vandalblast.
Engineered Explosives should be Izzet Staticaster.
Stomping Ground should be Breeding Pool.

It could be worse; I'm at ~80% win rate at cel. Now Dechs can tell me again that I need to play better players

You do need to play against better opponents. Not because your current ones suck, or anything. You're just not going to learn anything by playing against people you can beat 80% of the time.

Until I can play in the us regularly I'm in with the best players I can be; Sneak and Show has eight of Australia's top 10.

and they shouldn't fence at night, or they're going to hurt the gymnasts

Until I can play in the us regularly I'm in with the best players I can be; Sneak and Show has eight of Australia's top 10.

Sounds like you should just meta against Sneak and Show.

My mono B deck would love your area.

It's the best deck in the format. You're two worst matchups are about 50% (Jund and UWR) if they're good players; I went 3-0 vs Jund (beating one top 10 ranked player) and 1-0-1 vs UWR, so meh. I wouldn't play any other deck though I would make some small changes.

As I thought. Do you however notice any weekness that could be exploited? Any particular cards you hate to face?
I am asking for my small project, that curently has 10% vs twin, ~50% vs merfolk and hatebears (nitche decks), and ~85%+ vs rest of the top decks, and I would really apreciate your thoughts and insights, as you seems to be much better twin player than anyone here or in my area. What did you loose against?

What Are your other options Zem concerning Magic? I dont think
you can travel from Australia to Europe/States for GPs every week or 2?

Until I can play in the us regularly I'm in with the best players I can be; Sneak and Show has eight of Australia's top 10.

Sounds like you should just meta against Sneak and Show.

My mono B deck would love your area.

sneak and show is a team

Until I can play in the us regularly I'm in with the best players I can be; Sneak and Show has eight of Australia's top 10.

Sounds like you should just meta against Sneak and Show.

My mono B deck would love your area.

sneak and show is a team

I LOLed.

Until I can play in the us regularly I'm in with the best players I can be; Sneak and Show has eight of Australia's top 10.

Then that's a good place to be. Probably better than any US play group outside CFB, CFBP and SCG.

Yeah half the team is on the PT so I'm pretty fortunate.

It's the best deck in the format. You're two worst matchups are about 50% (Jund and UWR) if they're good players; I went 3-0 vs Jund (beating one top 10 ranked player) and 1-0-1 vs UWR, so meh. I wouldn't play any other deck though I would make some small changes.

As I thought. Do you however notice any weekness that could be exploited? Any particular cards you hate to face?
I am asking for my small project, that curently has 10% vs twin, ~50% vs merfolk and hatebears (nitche decks), and ~85%+ vs rest of the top decks, and I would really apreciate your thoughts and insights, as you
seems to be much better twin player than anyone here or in my area. What did you loose against?

What Are your other options Zem concerning Magic? I dont think you can travel from Australia to Europe/States for GPs every week or 2?

Path to Exile decks and Rock decks are pretty unbeatable game 1; you beat them pretty easily after sideboard though.

Zem, now that you have been extensively playing modern and such. Is it your favorite format? I get that the CURRENT standard format is a little dull, but overall which format keeps you interested? (Assuming Standard is dynamic)

Standard is a kids game. Modern is for teenagers.

Legacy is where all the real men (read: neckbeards) play.

Zem, how do you feel about #bringourgirlshome? Also, does Madding really have soft hands?

My favourite format is legacy. I'd give a slight edge to modern over standard right now because standard hasn't changed in a year and Theros block is awful.

There's powering down a format and there's making it bland.

Standard is a lot dull it hasn't changed in a year and there's only 1 good deck and 1 good meta deck. Playing anything else is just wrong if your goal is to win events.

I may play some Standard next season if there be dragons

Agreed that Standard is pretty stale right now. I find myself wanting to play a lot more Modern. If I could convince others in the area to play Legacy I'd be in heaven, but apparently I'm one of the few smart enough to realize how awesome Legacy actually is.

That or I'm one of the few in the area that could actually afford it. Probably that.

legacy sucks

I flat out can't afford Legacy. Even Modern has been stretching it for me. I've finally acquired all of the cards I need to play Boros Burn in modern.

Standard is a lot dull it hasn't changed in a year and there's only 1 good deck and 1 good meta deck. Playing anything else is just wrong if your goal is to win events.

there are more than two decks, but it's still a boring format. the UW decks are things of beauty.

what it comes down to is that adding legacy and modern staples thoughtseize, mutavault and abrupt decay to standard at the same time is why wizards is retarded and standard ground to a halt with temple of malady.

Legacy's no more expensive than Modern. If you can afford a Modern deck, there are a dozen cheap and competitive Legacy decks available to you. Hell, I can enjoy the format with a $150 pile of jank.

It's awesome that right now you can pick up Abrupt Decays off Standard players for fairly cheap though. I'm starting to horde them.

Standards generally my favorite format, but this has been the least exciting it's been in years.

Legacy's meh. It's skill intensive and whatever, but it's not THAT great a format.

Modern is currently the most interesting format what with PTQ season around the corner. It's interesting in the fact that it's actually a pretty terrible format for Pro Tours, at least from the Pro player perspective. 7 people getting there first PT top 8 at BNG was not a fluke. The main reason why the super teams do well at the PT has to do with preparation. In Standard and Block, you can have 8 people in a house for a week and find interesting things in all the unexplored territory and come up with something either unique or well positioned. In modern, that's not really possible because it's both to big and because you can't really 'break it'. Hence why you see people who play the same deck over and over again and/or format experts
like Dickman consistently do well in the format, much so then your just really good players like the Wraptors and Owens of the world.

Legacy's no more expensive than Modern.

Have you seen the price of underground seas lately?

dem $220 dual lands

Legacy's no more expensive than Modern.

Have you seen the price of underground seas lately?

It's not like you need them. For specific decks, yes.

I'm just saying look at the most expensive Legacy and the most expensive Modern decks. Last I checked, they weren't too far off.

The most expensive decks in legacy are like $3k, modern caps out at $1.5...maybe?

I mean 1-2 years ago before onslaught fetches and abur duels shot up again, prolly but now there is a difference

Legacy's no more expensive than Modern. If you can afford a Modern deck, there are a dozen cheap and competitive Legacy decks available to you. Hell, I can enjoy the format with a $150 pile of jank.

just because you enjoy being a budg caj doesn't mean others do

saying legacy isn't more expensive than modern is an insult to all of our intelligence, especially your own

The most expensive decks in legacy are like $3k, modern caps out at $1.5...maybe?

If you're going to spend $1500 on a deck, then $3000 isn't a stretch either. This is what I'm saying.

Obviously you don't have to buy the most expensive deck and obviously the most expensive deck isn't always the best. I'm saying the prices are comparable.

To be fair, Modern Jund will run you up a tab of about 2 grand.

Modern is currently the most interesting format what with PTQ season around the corner. It's interesting in the fact that it's actually a pretty terrible format for Pro Tours, at least from the Pro player perspective. 7 people getting there first PT top 8 at BNG was not a fluke. The main reason why the super teams do well at the PT has to do with preparation. In Standard and Block, you can have 8 people in a house for a week and find interesting things in all the unexplored territory and come up with something either unique or well positioned. In modern, that's not really possible because it's both to big and because you can't really 'break it'. Hence why you see people who play the same deck over and over again and/or format experts like Dickman
consistently do well in the format, much so then your just really good players like the Wraptors and Owens of the world.

This is definitely a big draw to Modern and why I wish there were more Modern tournaments. Is it just me or does it seem like every other PTQ is Sealed?!?! At least make it 50/50, right?