==ISLANDHOME #9==
April 30th 2008 ---- $25
==IN THIS ISSUE...==
Shadowmoor Release Events: Details for what you're doing this weekend!
Release Event Tips: Tips for making top prize at the multiple launch parties this weekend.
Annoucements: How to avoid getting caught not cheating... by not cheating! It's foolproof!
Block Season: Block season starts in June, so start getting ready!
Rules Corner: A few more rules questions.
Upcoming Events: Some new info on area PTQs as well as the 2008 Regionals!
==THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE==
Friday: Brothers Grim Standard & Draft @ 7 PM
Saturday: FNC Standard @ 3 PM
Note: Starting May 10th, FNC events will begin at 1 PM!
==RULES CORNER==
Q. My opponent has a Reveillark in play and he plays a Mirror Entity. Can I play Cryptic Command and choose to return the Reveillark to his hand before I counter the Mirror Entity, so that the Mirror Entity isn't in his graveyard when Reveillark triggers and he can't get it back?==IN THIS ISSUE...==
Shadowmoor Release Events: Details for what you're doing this weekend!
Release Event Tips: Tips for making top prize at the multiple launch parties this weekend.
Annoucements: How to avoid getting caught not cheating... by not cheating! It's foolproof!
Block Season: Block season starts in June, so start getting ready!
Rules Corner: A few more rules questions.
Upcoming Events: Some new info on area PTQs as well as the 2008 Regionals!
==THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE==
Friday: Brothers Grim Standard & Draft @ 7 PM
Saturday: FNC Standard @ 3 PM
Note: Starting May 10th, FNC events will begin at 1 PM!
==SHADOWMOOR RELEASE EVENTS==
I'll be running Shadowmoor launch parties at FNC and Brothers Grim next weekend, so come and play and win fabulous prizes! Players at each event will receive a tournament pack of Shadowmoor and two Shadowmoor boosters to construct a 40-card minimum deck. We'll have deck boxes and life counters to be given out, and each participating player will receive a promo Vexing Shusher, one of the chase rares of the set!
FNC Launch Party
Entry Fee: $25
Date: Saturday, May 3rd
Starting Time: 1 PM
Brothers Grim Launch Party
Entry Fee: $24
Date: Sunday, May 4th
Starting Time: 2 PM
Entry Fee: $25
Date: Saturday, May 3rd
Starting Time: 1 PM
Brothers Grim Launch Party
Entry Fee: $24
Date: Sunday, May 4th
Starting Time: 2 PM
==RELEASE EVENT TIPS==
Well I'm not the best limited player in the world, but I've got a bunch of basic tips on how to increase your chances at getting top prize at a Shadowmoor launch party this weekend.
First, Shadowmoor is a strange set in terms of color. Ironically, all the multicolored cards make it easier than ever to play monocolor! It looks like rather than playing two colors and a splash like most sets, you'll be solidly in two colors, or even one color and a splash! It's also good to stay in allied colors, because some of the best cards have three or more hybrid mana symbols in their cost. In a red/green deck, a card that costs 2(R/G)(R/G) can be played with any four lands in your deck, but in a red/blue deck, you might not be able to play that four-drop until turn five or six!
Keep your deck at 40 cards, 41 at most. There's no reason to go over the required minimum, and the closer you are to 40 cards the more reliably you'll draw what you want to. 23 spells and 17 lands is the industry standard on limited deck construction, and there's rarely a reason to diverge from it. Maybe 22 and 18 if your mana curve is really high, though some people (like myself) like to play 23 spells and 18 lands to make sure they hit their land drops in a mana-hungry deck. Shadowmoor has a lot of beefy 4-drops you'll want to cast reliably on turn four, so it might not be a bad idea to try it out!
Creatures are king in limited - there's no alternate win conditions, so turning your team sideways is the key to victory! To achieve that you'll want to play at least sixteen creatures, over a varied mana curve that will ensure you're always keeping creatures on the field to attack and/or block. Since creatures are the key to every deck, of course removal is extremely important... and there's not much of it in Shadowmoor. Anything that destroys, RFGs, or keeps a creature from attacking or blocking should find a place in your deck.
In a limited event, every card you have in your pool that you're not using is your sideboard. Check it between games to make sure you're not forgetting anything important that can help you against your opponent's best stuff; there's lots of color-hosers in this set!
First, Shadowmoor is a strange set in terms of color. Ironically, all the multicolored cards make it easier than ever to play monocolor! It looks like rather than playing two colors and a splash like most sets, you'll be solidly in two colors, or even one color and a splash! It's also good to stay in allied colors, because some of the best cards have three or more hybrid mana symbols in their cost. In a red/green deck, a card that costs 2(R/G)(R/G) can be played with any four lands in your deck, but in a red/blue deck, you might not be able to play that four-drop until turn five or six!
Keep your deck at 40 cards, 41 at most. There's no reason to go over the required minimum, and the closer you are to 40 cards the more reliably you'll draw what you want to. 23 spells and 17 lands is the industry standard on limited deck construction, and there's rarely a reason to diverge from it. Maybe 22 and 18 if your mana curve is really high, though some people (like myself) like to play 23 spells and 18 lands to make sure they hit their land drops in a mana-hungry deck. Shadowmoor has a lot of beefy 4-drops you'll want to cast reliably on turn four, so it might not be a bad idea to try it out!
Creatures are king in limited - there's no alternate win conditions, so turning your team sideways is the key to victory! To achieve that you'll want to play at least sixteen creatures, over a varied mana curve that will ensure you're always keeping creatures on the field to attack and/or block. Since creatures are the key to every deck, of course removal is extremely important... and there's not much of it in Shadowmoor. Anything that destroys, RFGs, or keeps a creature from attacking or blocking should find a place in your deck.
In a limited event, every card you have in your pool that you're not using is your sideboard. Check it between games to make sure you're not forgetting anything important that can help you against your opponent's best stuff; there's lots of color-hosers in this set!
==ANNOUNCEMENTS==
I'd like to thank everyone who's planning to attend one or both of my release events ahead of time for a successful event! But before you open up your tournament packs and start sniffing the sweet New Card Smell (tm), I have a few announcements to make.
Build your own deck! With the new penalty guidelines that came out last month, Outside Assistance at regular events (such as a launch party) has been changed from a disqualification to a Warning, but that doesn't mean it's any less wrong. Tournaments are about testing the skill of a player, whether it's deck building or playing, not their ability to follow advice from their friends. Little comments about cards are okay, and definitely understandable when it's the first time most of you have seen these cards, but the line is drawn when you start giving advice on what to play. I'll definitely be giving out Warnings for Outside Assistance, and upgrading to Game Losses as necessary... but I don't expect to be giving out (m)any Game Losses. Anyone who intentionally helps someone build their deck knowing that it's "just a Warning" could be asked to leave the event.
Other forms of cheating won't be tolerated either, especially the blatant kinds like slipping in cards that weren't in your sealed product or trading cards among your friends. That's one thing that fortunately hasn't been downgraded, and DQs for Manipulation of Tournament Materials are very serious and could mean the next set you're allowed to play in the release event for isn't even in development at Wizards' R&D yet. If you see anyone doing anything suspicious like trading cards or adding their own, please let me know so I can do my investigating thing that I hate to love to do.
Sorry to sound harsh, but release-type events are notorious for cheating because some bad apples think it's okay because they're "just" release events, and I know even one cheater can ruin the experience for every other player.
Build your own deck! With the new penalty guidelines that came out last month, Outside Assistance at regular events (such as a launch party) has been changed from a disqualification to a Warning, but that doesn't mean it's any less wrong. Tournaments are about testing the skill of a player, whether it's deck building or playing, not their ability to follow advice from their friends. Little comments about cards are okay, and definitely understandable when it's the first time most of you have seen these cards, but the line is drawn when you start giving advice on what to play. I'll definitely be giving out Warnings for Outside Assistance, and upgrading to Game Losses as necessary... but I don't expect to be giving out (m)any Game Losses. Anyone who intentionally helps someone build their deck knowing that it's "just a Warning" could be asked to leave the event.
Other forms of cheating won't be tolerated either, especially the blatant kinds like slipping in cards that weren't in your sealed product or trading cards among your friends. That's one thing that fortunately hasn't been downgraded, and DQs for Manipulation of Tournament Materials are very serious and could mean the next set you're allowed to play in the release event for isn't even in development at Wizards' R&D yet. If you see anyone doing anything suspicious like trading cards or adding their own, please let me know so I can do my investigating thing that I hate to love to do.
Sorry to sound harsh, but release-type events are notorious for cheating because some bad apples think it's okay because they're "just" release events, and I know even one cheater can ruin the experience for every other player.
==BLOCK SEASON==
Tournament Magic goes in seasons: Standard season, Extended season, Limited season, Two-Headed Giant season, and so on, where all the big tournaments for a period of time are the same format. extended season just ended last month, and because Wizards cut one annual Pro Tour, there's been a bit of a gap until the next season. But Block season is coming up soon, starting June 7th (see the Upcoming Events section for a list of the PTQs in your area), and it's the perfect time to prepare for it!
Block constructed is like a small slice of the Standard pie. You lose some of the staples of the Standard card pool, and have to innovate a little and use cards that usually don't see play outside of limited because there are better alternatives in standard. For example, Tarmogoyf is the best two-drop in Standard, but it's not available in Block. Wrath of God's not in Lorwyn/Shadowmoor block, but the pricier Austere Command is! Even whole decks don't have equivelents in Block constructed. Project-R doesn't have Body Double to pull off its infinite combo, so while you might see a UW tempo deck using Reveillark and Momentary Blink-replacement Turn to Mist, it's not as dangerous as its bigger brother that can go infinite.
To help prepare for Block season, I'll sanction some Block constructed events if there's enough interest for it. I'm sure there will be as we get closer to the first New York area PTQ.
Block constructed is like a small slice of the Standard pie. You lose some of the staples of the Standard card pool, and have to innovate a little and use cards that usually don't see play outside of limited because there are better alternatives in standard. For example, Tarmogoyf is the best two-drop in Standard, but it's not available in Block. Wrath of God's not in Lorwyn/Shadowmoor block, but the pricier Austere Command is! Even whole decks don't have equivelents in Block constructed. Project-R doesn't have Body Double to pull off its infinite combo, so while you might see a UW tempo deck using Reveillark and Momentary Blink-replacement Turn to Mist, it's not as dangerous as its bigger brother that can go infinite.
To help prepare for Block season, I'll sanction some Block constructed events if there's enough interest for it. I'm sure there will be as we get closer to the first New York area PTQ.
==RULES CORNER==
A. Short answer no, long answer is also no, but it's a longer answer. The short answer is that when you play a spell, you have to follow the instructions in the order they're written. In Cryptic Command's case, countering a spell comes first and bouncing a permanent comes after, so that's the order they happen. But that's not exactly why you can't prevent your opponent from bringing back his Mirror Entity with Reveillark's trigger. Just for the sake of argument, say you could "stack the modes" so that you bounce Reveillark first and then counter Mirror Entity. Reveillark would return to its owner's hand and its ability would trigger. Then Mirror Entity would be countered and placed into its owner's graveyard. Then, as Cryptic Command has nothing left to do, it too is put into its owner's graveyard. Then Reveillark's triggered ability would be put onto the stack and its controller would choose a target, one of which the countered Mirror Entity is a valid target for. It doesn't matter in what order Cryptic Command's modes happen, because Reveillark's "leaves play" trigger can't go on the stack until a player would get priority... which is after Cryptic Command resolves.
Q. My opponent plays a Stotterzauber-Sylphide, but I don't know what it does! Isn't he required to have an English version in his deck and show it to me?
A. It seems common in unsanctioned local tournaments and small playgroups to enforce the rule that you can only use foreign cards if you have an English one with you. The DCI allows cards of any language to be used in a player's deck. But if you get confused about what a foreign card does, you can always ask a judge for the Oracle text of any card. The Oracle is the name for the big database of Magic card text, and it's searchable on gatherer.wizards.com.
Q. What's the converted mana cost of a Dragonstorm copy?
A. Since an object's mana cost is a copiable value, a storm copy of Dragonstorm will have a converted mana cost of 9. Unless you have nine faeries in play, Spellstutter Sprite isn't going to save you from getting burnt to a crisp by a stormed-out dragon.
==UPCOMING EVENTS==
Saturday, May 3rd: Shadowmoor Launch Party at FNC starting at 1 PM
See above for details.
Sunday, May 4th: Shadowmoor Launch Party at Brothers Grim starting at 2 PM
See above for details about how you should see above for details.
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. To help prepare for it, I'm going to try to sanction some Block Constructed tournaments after Shadowmoor is released.
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
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'm sure I'll be judging it, so I'll find out ahead of time what's going to happen with Grim and FNC that weekend.
==FIN==
This weekend is going to be intense! Come down to Grim on Friday night for drafting, then FNC Saturday for their release event, and Sunday for Grim's release event! It'll be more Shadowmoor than you can handle!
-Brian Paskoff
No comments:
Post a Comment