These Fuckin' People

 So, here's a solid article on the latest attempts to unionize at WotC. 

I guess we know where that $600 million isn't going. 

Neuroscape

 So I've been taken in a bit by the new Neuroscape game and one nice thing about it: Since I don't know anyone else who plays, I can play online in a browser! There are two spots, Deckscape and Lootpanel. 

The games have mostly been pretty fast paced, and my ability to keep up with things is undoubtedly linked to Neuroscape's similarities to Magic, it has a feel and look all it's own. There are unique play spaces that have meaningful impacts on the game, and Neuroscape does a very good job of keeping stack interactions clear. However, the similarities are not always a positive. 

For some reason, the designers have made the decision to have Gear (items that equip to Characters) disappear when the character dies. They work like Auras in Magic-arguably the weakest permanent type. 

This means that factions that rely on gear, like the Cyborgs or Dustrunners, really suffer. Why are you running gear that doesn't remove a permanent or outright win, when there is removal? This condition is mitigated somewhat by the fact that characters don't have 'summoning sickness' but it also doesn't change the fact that most gear is bad and any removal for that character means you're getting a 2 or 3 for 1. 

They also haven't done much with what is different about the game either. You have two life totals, but there is no distinction between the two-yet. 

Still, there's a strong theme, they've done a nice job cleaning up some of the pacing issues Magic has, and more often than not I'm finding good play and deckbuilding is rewarded. 

At My Head

 I decided this was a Leige deck, not a Mimic deck.

As a result, here's what changed:

I added in 4 copies of The Astonishing Ant-Man, 4 Impulse, and 4 Bite Down. The results have been a little underwhelming.

Bite Down isn't a great card, even if it can hit planeswalkers. However, I noticed some other issues-I always thought Growth Spiral would be a great card but it always feels underwhelming. At least with Coiling Oracle I get to draw a creature that can block or attack. 

Unfortunately, I'm really not sure what I ought to do. The first thing that comes to mind is that some cheap fliers might be a good idea. Genemorph Imago, Cuboid Colony, even Skyclave Aerialist look alright. 

However, if I also want to lean into something more aggressive, cards like Needlethorn Drake or Venomthrope might be the way to go. Something that can attack and force damage or they lose a card, and then untap with the Liege? That's not bad.

However, the real problem seems to be the spell suite. I'm not sure how to fix that--yet. 

Meet Ze Monster

I named this after a PJ Harvey song.

4 Murkfiend Liege
4 Shorecrasher Mimic
4 Coiling Oracle
3 Trygon Predator
4 Maraleaf Pixie
2 The Goose Mother

4 Simic Charm
3 Snakeform
2 Applied Biomancy
3 Growth Spiral

3 Lumbering Falls
8 Forest
8 Island
4 Dreamroot Cascade

4 Nissa, Steward of Elements

It's a Liege deck and of the lieges, the UG and UR ones have given me the most trouble. Still, a lot has changed since Murkfiend Liege was printed, so maybe we can do something awesome!

All About The Numbers

This is a very cool series from TCG player on the math involved in Magic decks. Just wanted to bring that to everyone's attention!

Opening All Doors

 Here's the new list for Ode To Locksmiths and I think this is where it stays for now.

It took a few games, but when I couldn't reliably find a crab in my opening hands, even with seven in the deck, it became time to up to an eighth. That feels pretty stupid but this deck really can't afford to mess around. 

The three Counterspells are basic, yes but I don't have any Pact of Negation. I think the Pact would be alright but I might be overvaluing it. 

Mentally, I see it being great on the turn that I am going off and winning the game. 

Practically, I see needing to use it on turn 3, being unable to, and losing. 

So Counterspell it is!

I know I've made An Ode To Locksmiths a more consistent deck. I don't think I've made it a winning deck. But I can execute a plan and on the best days I can do it by turn four. That's not bad! Call this deck a C+ on power. 

4 Hedron Crab
4 Ruin Crab

4 Manabond

4 Daze
3 Counterspell|
4 Brainstorm
2 Mana Leak

13 Island
2 Forest
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Temple of Mystery

2 Stock Up
3 Scouting Trek
3 Treasure Hunt
4 Serum Visions

Reality Fracture Pre-Release 0-3

At the two-headed giant format of Reality Fracture, Rebecca and I constructed RB and UG decks to play. The new format, which provides 4 less packs to make decks from, is...fine I guess? We were able to construct viable decks, which was good.

But our games fell into two camps and I don't know if it's because of the new restrictions, or because the set is kinda meh. 

As always, Red Castle Games put on a delightful event. 

Round 1 vs Ziegler/Tiffany (Sorry, I didn't catch your first names!)

Up against a UR and GB deck, we had a strong start, rapidly getting our opponents down to 9. We had a great sequence of play early on where I cast a Fulminous Forte with a Tomik out in an attempt to clear their board of x/2's. In response to the removal spell they cast, Rebecca had a Perfected Theory to make sure Tomik survived. We swung in hard and things looked good for a little bit.

However, after an Overwrite the Multiverse, they reset the board and we drew spells instead of creatures. They were able to mount a solid comeback and pull the game out.

They had MANY empower Jace spells and used them to help filter their cards and get back into the game. This was especially good with Vraska-and the sequence that broke the game open for them went: Play Vraska to destroy our best threat, and in response to the removal spell I cast on Vraska, they cast Ferocity of the Hunt. 

Great play on their part, and it sealed the game for them.

Rd 2 Mica & Jameson

Our opponents were running UW and GB decks. This game went to time; our opponents were using Flickering Hound and  Pia, Aether Ascetic to create value with Prepared cards and Way of the Wildspeaker. Even though our early game was solid, we couldn’t quite get them down past 12.

Once again, a lot of empower Jace cards helped them filter through their deck, creating very grindy gameplay.

Then it went to turns and nothing happened, though it didn't help that I drew three Swamps in a row.

Rd 3 Ryan & Kyle

We just got CRUSHED.

By turn 4 they had a Garruk, Veiled Buther in play, which effectively cleared our board with the -2, giving them a 4/4. Their cards played out on curve, with a Hapatra, the Desert Frost and Saheeli, Consul of Oversight joining the next turn followed by a Hapatra the Desert Fang! Rounds have 45 minutes to play. Our last game left us with 37 minutes on the clock. There wasn't any Jace empowerment, but it was unnecessary.

We left that one a little demoralized. 

I was hoping I was wrong about Reality Fracture in the set review and that the games would be fun or engaging. I certainly found Aeitherdrift to be better to play than I had thought, even if it wasn't the best set.

While Rebecca appreciated that in our first two games we got to do something and there was interaction between us and our opponents, I personally found it frustrating that we couldn't close out. Were there some lessons we learned? Could we have played better? Of course; there are always lessons and tighter gameplay to achieve. 

But learning those lessons wasn't fun for me. Our smart plays were not rewarded with wins, and I don't think we made any mistakes that were so bad that we should have lost...we just did, in games that were either very draggy, or incredibly busted.