==ISLANDHOME #13==
May 28th 2008 ---- FREE
==IN THIS ISSUE...==
Pro Tour Hollywood: Results and what it means for you!
Elder Dragon Highlander: The most interesting format you've never played.
Interview: John "Metagame" Madonia
==THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE==
Friday: Brothers Grim Draft @ 7 PM
Saturday: FNC Standard @ 1 PM
Sunday: Brothers Grim Lorwyn-Shadowmoor Block Constructed @ 2 PM
==PRO TOUR HOLLYWOOD==
==ELDER DRAGON HIGHLANDER==
==RULES CORNER==
Q. If I have Runed Halo out on Assembly-Worker, will it protect me from Mirror Entity?==IN THIS ISSUE...==
Pro Tour Hollywood: Results and what it means for you!
Elder Dragon Highlander: The most interesting format you've never played.
Interview: John "Metagame" Madonia
==THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE==
Friday: Brothers Grim Draft @ 7 PM
Saturday: FNC Standard @ 1 PM
Sunday: Brothers Grim Lorwyn-Shadowmoor Block Constructed @ 2 PM
==PRO TOUR HOLLYWOOD==
Pro Tour Hollywood is over, and the results are going to change the Standard metagame for months to come. Surprisingly, even with it taking up over 25% of the metagame, Faeries didn't make first place - only one Faerie deck made it into the top 8, and it wound up in eighth place! Charles Gindy ended up winning the whole thing with his Elf deck, taking home a $40,000 check which should just about cover the cost of his deck. Check his decklist out in the link below to see what I mean.
So what do the results of the PT mean for Regionals next week, and the metagame in general? Well for one thing, Faeries has been knocked out of the "best deck" spot. It'll still be played of course, but in lesser numbers. At Regionals and at stores where lots of netdecking takes place, Elves will probably be the most popular deck; I've already noticed Imperious Perfects and other Elf-specific cards start to sell out of binders at FNC and Grim, and I'm sure it's like that all over the country. Merfolk and Reveillark will also be popular choices, as both of them made it far on day two of the Pro Tour.
There was also a strange deck from the French players called "Quick n' Toast" - basically, it's a five-color control deck that uses Oona as its finisher, and Vivid lands and Reflecting Pools to build a stable five-color manabase. Guillaume Wafo-Tapa made it the furthest, all the way to 11th place, just barely missing out on top 8 action. His list can be found here. It looks like a difficult deck to play, so don't expect to see it in the winner's bracket at Regionals unless someone really good is piloting it.
While I don't condone netdecking, it's a good idea to look at the top decks from Hollywood so you know what you're going to be up against in post-Hollywood Standard! Taking one of these lists to playtest it is fine, but adding your own twists to them is what makes a good deckbuilder instead of someone who just hopes to win a local event with a Pro Tour decklist and winds up getting their Mudbutt handed to them.
Day 2 Decklists
Top 8 Decklists
Congradulations to Grim veteran Michael Catapano, who made it to day two of the Pro Tour with his BR Goblin/Husk deck!
So what do the results of the PT mean for Regionals next week, and the metagame in general? Well for one thing, Faeries has been knocked out of the "best deck" spot. It'll still be played of course, but in lesser numbers. At Regionals and at stores where lots of netdecking takes place, Elves will probably be the most popular deck; I've already noticed Imperious Perfects and other Elf-specific cards start to sell out of binders at FNC and Grim, and I'm sure it's like that all over the country. Merfolk and Reveillark will also be popular choices, as both of them made it far on day two of the Pro Tour.
There was also a strange deck from the French players called "Quick n' Toast" - basically, it's a five-color control deck that uses Oona as its finisher, and Vivid lands and Reflecting Pools to build a stable five-color manabase. Guillaume Wafo-Tapa made it the furthest, all the way to 11th place, just barely missing out on top 8 action. His list can be found here. It looks like a difficult deck to play, so don't expect to see it in the winner's bracket at Regionals unless someone really good is piloting it.
While I don't condone netdecking, it's a good idea to look at the top decks from Hollywood so you know what you're going to be up against in post-Hollywood Standard! Taking one of these lists to playtest it is fine, but adding your own twists to them is what makes a good deckbuilder instead of someone who just hopes to win a local event with a Pro Tour decklist and winds up getting their Mudbutt handed to them.
Day 2 Decklists
Top 8 Decklists
Congradulations to Grim veteran Michael Catapano, who made it to day two of the Pro Tour with his BR Goblin/Husk deck!
==ELDER DRAGON HIGHLANDER==
Almost anything's possible in Elder Dragon Highlander. How often do you hear "End of turn, I'll flash in Nevinyrral's Disk"? It's possible thanks to Vedalken Orrery! Or how about playing Tooth and Nail, entwined and conspired with Wort, the Raidmother to fetch out four creatures: Hostility, Siege-Gang Commander, Furystoke Giant, and an Anarchist, setting up a combo next turn with Flametongue Kavu hitting Furystoke Giant, which would let almost my entire board ping for 2?
There's been a lot of discussion on standard, extended, draft, and sealed deck in Islandhome, but there's one format I haven't touched on - Elder Dragon Highlander (or EDH to its friends). What is EDH? It's a format designed to push fun, casual play and deckbuilding skills, while not requiring a huge investment. It also showcases weird card interactions that aren't found anywhere else in Magic, and is bound to bring up some of the most interesting rules questions that have ever been asked in the history of Magic. I'm trying to get more people interested in the format, so here's how it works:
To start building a deck, you'll need a General. Your General can be any legendary creature that's legal in Vintage, with the exception of Kokusho and Rofellos, who are banned for power reasons. Once you've picked a General, you can start building your deck with an interesting restriction: You can't use a card in your deck if any of the mana symbols on it don't show up in your General's mana cost. For example, if you were using Chromium as your General, you couldn't play Void in your deck, because Void has a red mana symbol on it and Chromium doesn't. You also couldn't play Thornscape Battlemage in your Doran EDH deck, because it has a red mana symbol in its text. Hybrid cards such as the ones from Shadowmoor are currently under discussion, but are banned right now if one of their halves is off-color. You'll also need to build your deck with exactly 100 cards (rule of thumb is about 60 spells and 40 lands), including your General. Also - and this is where the "highlander" part of the name comes from - every card in the format is restricted. You can only play one of each card, with the exception of basic lands.
Building an EDH deck is just as fun as playing it, because you have access to almost the entire Vintage card pool (there's a banned list, which is below), and can build around any theme you want. My friend Vic Naqvi, an L1 judge from Canada who introduced me to EDH (and judging, as a matter of fact), is always talking to me about the different deck ideas he has - a Maga, Traitor to Mortals mono-black ramp deck, a Reaper King deck using Changelings and Scarecrows, etc. My most recent deck is a Wort, the Raidmother deck that uses mana acceleration and powerful instants and sorceries that can be conspired for devastating effects. Matt Brocking's been telling me about his Zur the Enchanter deck, and Michael Evans has been raving about his Captain Sisay deck.
Even playing EDH has some interesting rules:
- Your General begins the game removed from the game. You can play it at any time you could play it as though it were in your hand, but as an additional cost to play it, it costs 2 more to play for each previous time you played it from the removed-from-game zone.
- If a player is dealt 21 damage by a single General, they lose the game. If, for example, my General is Chromium and I've dealt 21 damage to you with him over the course of the game, you lose, even if you've gained the life back from when Chromium dealt you damage. This damage stays on the record even if Chromium leaves play and returns later.
- As a replacement effect, if a General would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, its owner may choose to remove it from the game instead. It never hits the graveyard if it's replaced this way.
- Players begin the game at 40 life.
- If something would add mana to your mana pool that's not in your general's mana cost, it adds that much colorless mana instead.
There's a few card-specific rules too: Generals can't be bounced with Karakas, they can't be shuffled in with Riftsweeper, and Wishes can only be used to fetch either your General or cards that started the game in your deck but were then removed from the game (there's no sideboards). Rune Tail, Kitsune flips when its controller has 60 or more life, too.
Here's the deckbuilding rules in handy bullet-list form as well:
- All cards are restricted, except basic lands.
- You can only use cards if they don't have mana symbols that aren't in your General's mana cost.
- 100 cards exactly, including your General.
- Uses the Vintage card pool (see banned list below), and cards are legal as of the set's prerelease.
- Rofellos is banned as a General, but can still be used in your deck. Kokusho is banned as a General too, as well as banned in decks.
The best part about EDH is that you get to use cards that don't ever see play. My Wort deck plays Mirri's Guile, Scroll Rack, Restock, Sprout Swarm, and Candles of Leng, just to name a few! I'd love to see more people get interested in this unique format, so if anyone wants to build a deck and play against me, I'm always up for a game! If it gets enough interest, I might even start up a league! With prizes! Fabulous prizes!
Banned Cards:
Ancestral Recall
Black Lotus
Balance
Biorhythm
Coalition Victory
Crucible of Worlds
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Library of Alexandria
Moxen
Panoptic Mirror
Recurring Nightmare
Sway of the Stars
Test of Endurance
Time Walk
Upheaval
Worldgorger Dragon
Yawgmoth's Bargain
The official Elder Dragon Highlander rules are located here, where they're maintained by L3 judge Gavin Duggan. I'll have more on EDH in future issues of Islandhome, including some staple cards, deckbuilding tips, and game recaps!
==INTERVIEW: JOHN "METAGAME" MADONIA==There's been a lot of discussion on standard, extended, draft, and sealed deck in Islandhome, but there's one format I haven't touched on - Elder Dragon Highlander (or EDH to its friends). What is EDH? It's a format designed to push fun, casual play and deckbuilding skills, while not requiring a huge investment. It also showcases weird card interactions that aren't found anywhere else in Magic, and is bound to bring up some of the most interesting rules questions that have ever been asked in the history of Magic. I'm trying to get more people interested in the format, so here's how it works:
To start building a deck, you'll need a General. Your General can be any legendary creature that's legal in Vintage, with the exception of Kokusho and Rofellos, who are banned for power reasons. Once you've picked a General, you can start building your deck with an interesting restriction: You can't use a card in your deck if any of the mana symbols on it don't show up in your General's mana cost. For example, if you were using Chromium as your General, you couldn't play Void in your deck, because Void has a red mana symbol on it and Chromium doesn't. You also couldn't play Thornscape Battlemage in your Doran EDH deck, because it has a red mana symbol in its text. Hybrid cards such as the ones from Shadowmoor are currently under discussion, but are banned right now if one of their halves is off-color. You'll also need to build your deck with exactly 100 cards (rule of thumb is about 60 spells and 40 lands), including your General. Also - and this is where the "highlander" part of the name comes from - every card in the format is restricted. You can only play one of each card, with the exception of basic lands.
Building an EDH deck is just as fun as playing it, because you have access to almost the entire Vintage card pool (there's a banned list, which is below), and can build around any theme you want. My friend Vic Naqvi, an L1 judge from Canada who introduced me to EDH (and judging, as a matter of fact), is always talking to me about the different deck ideas he has - a Maga, Traitor to Mortals mono-black ramp deck, a Reaper King deck using Changelings and Scarecrows, etc. My most recent deck is a Wort, the Raidmother deck that uses mana acceleration and powerful instants and sorceries that can be conspired for devastating effects. Matt Brocking's been telling me about his Zur the Enchanter deck, and Michael Evans has been raving about his Captain Sisay deck.
Even playing EDH has some interesting rules:
- Your General begins the game removed from the game. You can play it at any time you could play it as though it were in your hand, but as an additional cost to play it, it costs 2 more to play for each previous time you played it from the removed-from-game zone.
- If a player is dealt 21 damage by a single General, they lose the game. If, for example, my General is Chromium and I've dealt 21 damage to you with him over the course of the game, you lose, even if you've gained the life back from when Chromium dealt you damage. This damage stays on the record even if Chromium leaves play and returns later.
- As a replacement effect, if a General would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, its owner may choose to remove it from the game instead. It never hits the graveyard if it's replaced this way.
- Players begin the game at 40 life.
- If something would add mana to your mana pool that's not in your general's mana cost, it adds that much colorless mana instead.
There's a few card-specific rules too: Generals can't be bounced with Karakas, they can't be shuffled in with Riftsweeper, and Wishes can only be used to fetch either your General or cards that started the game in your deck but were then removed from the game (there's no sideboards). Rune Tail, Kitsune flips when its controller has 60 or more life, too.
Here's the deckbuilding rules in handy bullet-list form as well:
- All cards are restricted, except basic lands.
- You can only use cards if they don't have mana symbols that aren't in your General's mana cost.
- 100 cards exactly, including your General.
- Uses the Vintage card pool (see banned list below), and cards are legal as of the set's prerelease.
- Rofellos is banned as a General, but can still be used in your deck. Kokusho is banned as a General too, as well as banned in decks.
The best part about EDH is that you get to use cards that don't ever see play. My Wort deck plays Mirri's Guile, Scroll Rack, Restock, Sprout Swarm, and Candles of Leng, just to name a few! I'd love to see more people get interested in this unique format, so if anyone wants to build a deck and play against me, I'm always up for a game! If it gets enough interest, I might even start up a league! With prizes! Fabulous prizes!
Banned Cards:
Ancestral Recall
Black Lotus
Balance
Biorhythm
Coalition Victory
Crucible of Worlds
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Library of Alexandria
Moxen
Panoptic Mirror
Recurring Nightmare
Sway of the Stars
Test of Endurance
Time Walk
Upheaval
Worldgorger Dragon
Yawgmoth's Bargain
The official Elder Dragon Highlander rules are located here, where they're maintained by L3 judge Gavin Duggan. I'll have more on EDH in future issues of Islandhome, including some staple cards, deckbuilding tips, and game recaps!
John Madonia is a self-proclaimed "metagame genius", and as of this writing, the third-highest ranked constructed player in New York State, having qualified for the Pro Tour strictly by playing and winning at FNC for months on end; an act which both proved an exacerbated the depths of his insanity. After contacting his press agent for weeks, I finally got into contact with the reclusive metagamer. And, after convincing him I wasn't "from the government", I managed to ask him a few questions about his Magic career over instant messenger. (So I apologize for the spelling mistakes.)
BJPaskoff: When did you start playing Magic and what got you into it?
Madonia: I started when I was 12, a bunch of people at school played wvyern and graduated to magic, my 1st pack was ice age and I got a general jarkeld as my rare
BJPaskoff: Tell me about the best game of Magic you've ever played.
Madonia: Hmm...
Madonia: Top 2 of a ptq
Madonia: Game 1 I beat my opponent turn 4 after drawing sucessful early harvests off the top
Madonia: Game 2 I lost, game 3 I had to win dead on the board the next turn. I played heartbeat floated 9 for harvest which allowed me uuuggg played cunning wish,for gu for another harvest played a chrome mox and a couple of draw spells to desire for 11
Madonia: I desire 8 land a mox and a medalion sapphire. Last card got me a cunning wish, and with ggggg floating I hunted pack for 16 token and won after his final draw yielded a skirk prospector
BJPaskoff: So you've qualified for two Pro Tours in your life - why haven't you gone to either of them?
Madonia: The pro tour to me, is for players that feel that in a way, magic is a way of life for them. I have a decent job at the moment that I enjoy, I also have a independent contracting job with one of the top sports networking companies in the world. I view myself as a competent player that can win my fair share of tournaments, but I don't think at that level I could succeed. I don't have a strong enough grasp on the rulings of the game. I usually play control decks because they, for the most part, use the least amount of rules interactions.
BJPaskoff: Everyone's had the match they'll always regret. What's yours?
Madonia: I only regret some girls [...], I don't regret anything in magic, its a card game. Never take your opponent for granted that's the only thing I never do.
BJPaskoff: Do you have any advice for players who want to improve their skills?
Madonia: Don't be a serial deckbuilder. Stick with a deck and test it. Focus on your weakness as a player and improve each week. Also don't think because of the name on the paper you lose before the match begins. Travis, a prime example of this, beat two good players on Saturday with a deck he had no business playing or winning with, but he won the games. Also take pride in what you do, don't listen to the haters let em hate. Magic players are demeaning by nature, find a core group of friends that you can test with, take their opinions to heart, not some wanna-be pro that thinks because he has starcitygames.com on his homepage he's gods gift to the game.
BJPaskoff: Will you ever play in another constructed event?
Madonia: Pro tour berlin seems like the next event for me, as far as sanctioned it takes place during oktoberfest and ill have ample vacation time to use for it. I figure it'll be my one and only hurrah so I might as well so half way across the world for it.
BJPaskoff: You've said before you hate drafting. Why is that?
Madonia: I don't feel like I have any control of the outcome. I enjoy playing in a constructed format where I can build to a certain metagame and play accordingly. I lose to people in drafts that id never lose to in constructed. it hasn't helped me improve in any facet of play, I also tend to draw 190 land in my 40 card deck.
BJPaskoff: Everyone who's seen you play has commented on your "pile o' permanents" style of playing, with upside down cards all over the place in an unorganized mess. Why do you play like that?
Madonia: Im disorganized by nature. Also, it gives my opponent something to focus on instead of focusing on playing me.
Madonia: They're more apt to misplays and useless banter, which I love
BJPaskoff: Any closing remarks for your interview?
Madonia: Don't go to jail
Madonia: And don't do drugs
Madonia: Eeee
John Madonia can sometimes be found at either Brothers Grim or FNC on a Friday or Saturday. If you see him, be sure to congradulate him on his Pro Tour Hollywood results.
BJPaskoff: When did you start playing Magic and what got you into it?
Madonia: I started when I was 12, a bunch of people at school played wvyern and graduated to magic, my 1st pack was ice age and I got a general jarkeld as my rare
BJPaskoff: Tell me about the best game of Magic you've ever played.
Madonia: Hmm...
Madonia: Top 2 of a ptq
Madonia: Game 1 I beat my opponent turn 4 after drawing sucessful early harvests off the top
Madonia: Game 2 I lost, game 3 I had to win dead on the board the next turn. I played heartbeat floated 9 for harvest which allowed me uuuggg played cunning wish,for gu for another harvest played a chrome mox and a couple of draw spells to desire for 11
Madonia: I desire 8 land a mox and a medalion sapphire. Last card got me a cunning wish, and with ggggg floating I hunted pack for 16 token and won after his final draw yielded a skirk prospector
BJPaskoff: So you've qualified for two Pro Tours in your life - why haven't you gone to either of them?
Madonia: The pro tour to me, is for players that feel that in a way, magic is a way of life for them. I have a decent job at the moment that I enjoy, I also have a independent contracting job with one of the top sports networking companies in the world. I view myself as a competent player that can win my fair share of tournaments, but I don't think at that level I could succeed. I don't have a strong enough grasp on the rulings of the game. I usually play control decks because they, for the most part, use the least amount of rules interactions.
BJPaskoff: Everyone's had the match they'll always regret. What's yours?
Madonia: I only regret some girls [...], I don't regret anything in magic, its a card game. Never take your opponent for granted that's the only thing I never do.
BJPaskoff: Do you have any advice for players who want to improve their skills?
Madonia: Don't be a serial deckbuilder. Stick with a deck and test it. Focus on your weakness as a player and improve each week. Also don't think because of the name on the paper you lose before the match begins. Travis, a prime example of this, beat two good players on Saturday with a deck he had no business playing or winning with, but he won the games. Also take pride in what you do, don't listen to the haters let em hate. Magic players are demeaning by nature, find a core group of friends that you can test with, take their opinions to heart, not some wanna-be pro that thinks because he has starcitygames.com on his homepage he's gods gift to the game.
BJPaskoff: Will you ever play in another constructed event?
Madonia: Pro tour berlin seems like the next event for me, as far as sanctioned it takes place during oktoberfest and ill have ample vacation time to use for it. I figure it'll be my one and only hurrah so I might as well so half way across the world for it.
BJPaskoff: You've said before you hate drafting. Why is that?
Madonia: I don't feel like I have any control of the outcome. I enjoy playing in a constructed format where I can build to a certain metagame and play accordingly. I lose to people in drafts that id never lose to in constructed. it hasn't helped me improve in any facet of play, I also tend to draw 190 land in my 40 card deck.
BJPaskoff: Everyone who's seen you play has commented on your "pile o' permanents" style of playing, with upside down cards all over the place in an unorganized mess. Why do you play like that?
Madonia: Im disorganized by nature. Also, it gives my opponent something to focus on instead of focusing on playing me.
Madonia: They're more apt to misplays and useless banter, which I love
BJPaskoff: Any closing remarks for your interview?
Madonia: Don't go to jail
Madonia: And don't do drugs
Madonia: Eeee
John Madonia can sometimes be found at either Brothers Grim or FNC on a Friday or Saturday. If you see him, be sure to congradulate him on his Pro Tour Hollywood results.
==RULES CORNER==
A. Runed Halo gives you protection from sources with the chosen name, not the chosen word. So while damage dealt to you by Assembly-Workers who happen to be named Assembly-Worker is prevented, damage dealt to you by Assembly-Workers named Mirror Entity isn't.
Q. I attack with a Treetop Village, and my opponent blocks with a 6/6 Korlash. With damage on the stack, I Incinerate the Korlash, but my opponent regenerates him in response. Since the regeneration ability resolves before Incinerate, will Korlash be saved?
A. Like has been said before in this rules column, "regenerate this creature" abilities don't precisely mean just that - they'd more accurately read "put a regeneration shield on this creature". The "can't be regenerated" clause means that the creature can't use a regeneration shield to save itself. So Korlash's regeneration ability resolves, putting a regeneration shield on itself, and then Incinerate resolves, dealing three damage to it and preventing it from regenerating this turn. Then combat damage resolves, and Korlash has lethal damage on it, but can't use up its regeneration shield since Incinerate prevents it from doing so.
Q. My opponent has a Rule of Law in play and I have one counter left on both my Lotus Bloom and my Greater Gargadon. What happens to my spells?
A. When you remove the last time counter from a spell, you have to play it - you have no choice. Since you control both suspend triggers, you choose which one resolves first. However, once you play the first spell from suspend-land, you won't be able to play any other spells. Your other suspend card will stay removed from the game forever. Also, you can't play any other spells that turn. Fun times!
Have a rules question you want answered? Send it to IslandhomeMTG@gmail.com!
==UPCOMING EVENTS==
==UPCOMING EVENTS==
June 7th: NJ Regionals
Gray Matter is hosting the regionals for our area in the basement of St. Matthew the Apostle church in Edison, NJ. The format is Standard constructed, and I'll have more details as I hear about them. I'll be judging it, so I'll find out ahead of time what's going to happen with Grim and FNC that weekend. Directions can be found here, but don't use Google Maps - you WILL get lost.
Gray Matter is hosting the regionals for our area in the basement of St. Matthew the Apostle church in Edison, NJ. The format is Standard constructed, and I'll have more details as I hear about them. I'll be judging it, so I'll find out ahead of time what's going to happen with Grim and FNC that weekend. Directions can be found here, but don't use Google Maps - you WILL get lost.
June 7th - August 31st: PTQ Season for PT Berlin
The next PTQ season starts this summer, and it's going to be Lorwyn Block Constructed! Lorwyn block will consist of Lorwyn, Morningtide, and Shadowmoor. Eventide won't be available during the beginning of the PTQ season, but will be legal before it ends.
PTQs in our general area this season:
- 6/21 - Philadelphia, PA
- 6/28 - Edison, NJ
- 8/9 - Philadelphia, PA
- 8/16 - New York, NY
- 8/30 - Edison, NJ
- 8/30 - Hartford, CT
- 8/31 - Rochester, NY
==NEXT ISSUE...==
The Metagame: NJ Regionals!
A draft report! Possibly, if I don't get distracted by DCI Reporter freaking out again during the Grim draft.
EDH deckbuilding tips, staple cards to consider, and game reports!
Another interview with a metagamer or two!
More rules questions!
The Metagame: NJ Regionals!
A draft report! Possibly, if I don't get distracted by DCI Reporter freaking out again during the Grim draft.
EDH deckbuilding tips, staple cards to consider, and game reports!
Another interview with a metagamer or two!
More rules questions!
==STORE LOCATIONS & CONTACT INFO==
Brothers Grim
1244 Middle Country Rd.
Selden, NY 11784
Phone: 698-2805
Website: www.brgim.com
Friendly Neighborhood Comics
3 Grant Avenue, Suite 2
Islip, NY 11751
Phone: 470-7984
Brothers Grim
1244 Middle Country Rd.
Selden, NY 11784
Phone: 698-2805
Website: www.brgim.com
Friendly Neighborhood Comics
3 Grant Avenue, Suite 2
Islip, NY 11751
Phone: 470-7984
==FIN==
See everyone this weekend!
-Brian Paskoff
L1 NY
L1 NY
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