Magic: The Gathering,GO TEAM MS!

[Sudo_Nym]

Guttersnipe with Discard looks really interesting.

[InflatablePie]

-2 Soul Ransom
-1 Izzet Charm
-1 Cyclonic Rift(/Think Twice?)
+2 Augur of Bolas
+2 Searing Spear

personal preference. definitely drop the 2 Ransom for either Spear or Augur, IMO. maybe even drop another card for a 4th augur.

ransom LOOKS fun (and may even work in that deck if your opponent can't deal with it) but I prefer Augur, especially if you're running Snipe AND Talrand, plus that combined with Staticaster gives you a great edge towards aggro.

might steal that list and try out some variations, it looks like fun

[chamber]

no snapcasters?

[Nuwen]

Soul ransom is a mainboard card that we knew would make people go WTF and is a cheap answer to meta decks with thragtusk and other money cards/combos that are better to steal than deal with. Plus you can sideboard it out for game 2 when people put in their enchantment removal (one guy brought in destroy target permanent oozes and diluted his deck to try and play around soul ransom).

You can take it out for more burn/ultimate price game 2. I plan on playing a 3-3-3 split between auger of bolas, delver of secrets, guttersnipe with 2 talrond (11 creatures total) but just don't have full playsets yet. The staticasters were mainboard for me this tournament and I lucked out because my first two opponents played weenie boros parish/humans decks, but I think I'd want to sideboard them in if I spot ramp like arbor elves or crucial stuff like that instead.

[Fate]

Snapcasters=expensive as fuck

[bv310]

sup

Built & played my first Standard deck this morning. Fate took 1st place in the tournament, I took 5th. Definitely going to fill out this deck and play it at more events:
http://www.mtgdeckbuilder.net/Decks/ViewDeck/537529

Congrats!

Also, I'd heavily consider cutting the two Soul Ransom for Augurs or Dreadbores.

EDIT: If you want a random steal effect/answer to Thrags, I'd run Evil Twin instead. Getting a copy of Thrag, plus the ability to murder a series of Thrags

[chamber]

Snapcasters=expensive as fuck

Reasonable answer, you just had a lot of shock lands and etc.

[InflatablePie]

yeah, Stats might work better SB.

I personally don't like Delver (weakest card in my Guttersnipe deck tbh) but it could work w/ Dimir Charm. Run 4 though.

2 Ransom for 2 Augur and a Snipe for a Spear sounds good in that case. Swap the Staticasters for Delver and flip the charm numbers?

[Fate]

We've been pretty lucky with winning drafts and opening shocklands with wincons. If we get enough to be able to trade off extras, 1 for 1 to trade for snapcasters might be feasible (although trading a shockland for a card that'll be good for 6 months is meh.)

Evil twin over soul ransom is a good point I suppose, and triggers Thrag's ETB effect? I just think Soul ransom catches people off guard and can even make then board in enchantment hate into G2 when she just boards them out all together.

[Sudo_Nym]

Evil Twin does gain 5 life if you copy Thrag with it, because it enters the battlefield as Thragtusk, not as Evil Twin. So that works.

The only problem I have with Soul Ransom is that the opponent has the chance to get rid of it built into the card. I keep looking at that line and have trouble convincing myself that they're that fantastic. I'm also unsure about Staticaster in the MB without Nightshade.

[chamber]

We've been pretty lucky with winning drafts and opening shocklands with wincons. If we get enough to be able to trade off extras, 1 for 1 to trade for snapcasters might be feasible (although trading a shockland for a card that'll be good for 6 months is meh.)

Evil twin over soul ransom is a good point I suppose, and triggers Thrag's ETB effect? I just think Soul ransom catches people off guard and can even make then board in enchantment hate into G2 when she just boards them out all together.

Its more like 2 shocks for a snapcaster atm.

[Fate]

I mean the deck she listed is what she went 4-1 with.

Its not"this is the decklist I'm running obv its the best combination of cards"

its what we threw together literally 3 hours before the event with the cards we had on hand in these colors. Staticasters is obv probably better in the side, but it worked out really well as a meta call because there were a lot of Aggro decks she crushed with it MB.

Evil twin makes a good contender for the soul ransom slot, but even if they can get rid of it built in, her deck is built around destroying hands (Rakdos' return) and getting card advantage that way, so it fits in with her win con. Two more cards=two more spells for Snipe and Talrand procs.

Soul ransom is a better answer to Olivia also, because they can just steal your olivia with theirs if you tap for twin and can't destroy it because of sickness.

[Fate]

We've been pretty lucky with winning drafts and opening shocklands with wincons. If we get enough to be able to trade off extras, 1 for 1 to trade for snapcasters might be feasible (although trading a shockland for a card that'll be good for 6 months is meh.)

Evil twin over soul ransom is a good point I suppose, and triggers Thrag's ETB effect? I just think Soul ransom catches people off guard and can even make then board in enchantment hate into G2 when she just boards them out all together.

Its more like 2 shocks for a snapcaster atm.

Gatecrash shocks are still trading for $20 at least the guy we traded for did it at that price

[chamber]

Olivia is legendary, copying it kills both before anything else can happen.

Shocks are like 10(obviously there is variance between different ones, but its like 8-14) and casters are like 20. I can't speak for local values I guess.

[Fate]

oh

Well then there's that

[bv310]

The downside of Soul Ransom is that the Opponent gets the choice. They get to decide whether you holding their creature is worth more than two cards in their hand. Ultimately, that kind of effect hurts you because they will always choose what hurts them the least.

[Nuwen]

At the cost of your opponent making a decision, you get 1 card slot that is both card advantage AND removal (with the added bonus of playing the card you remove). The decision you offer your opponent is not easy: card disadvantage OR 1-1 your soul ransom with removal of their own targeting their own creature, preserving my guttersnipes and other delicate wincons.

It's a solid card, you people just don't have ~imagination~

I think forcing your opponent to do something both predictable and difficult is one of the best things you can do in magic, and soul ransom sets that up well.

You're not setting up your opponent to make a decision opposite of the one you desire him to make, a'la vexing devil.

Add the META effect between games: if someone loses a game involving soul ransom, they might conclude it's the result of soul ransom and play more enchantment spot removal (or alter their deck in another way). I take out soul ransom game 2 for stronger burn and control cards, depending the matchup. They might have dead cards in their deck, and I don't.

[Thestatusquo]

Snapcasters are not 20. They're 25. 23 if you find someone willing to give you TCG mid, which is unlikely because its an eternal card that will never be less than 25. Look at Bob for comp. People have been quoting me like 8-9 on shocks, which seems unreasonable to me just because they're also an eternal card ostensibly, but people, looking at the short term, see them being repeatedly cracked, and more coming in gatecrash, so they're dropping.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone wanted more like 3 shocks for a caster, if they were willing to trade those cards for each other at all.

[Thestatusquo]

Also, went 7-3 in the online sealed ptq yesterday. It's disappointing, since my pool was probably good enough to top 8 with, I just punted a game here and there, couldn't deal with an obzedat, and got flooded once or twice. All in all I didn't deserve to top 8 because of my play mistakes, but I was still disappointed I couldn't do more with a pool that good.

I ended up 88th out of 805.

[Nuwen]

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/shiners-science-bitch/

So here's what I think my deck should look like, a little more polished. Some points I'm thinking about:

1. Against control decks, I probably need a
   utility land wincon
   . Nephalia's drownyard doesn't seem too bad here. If I can't finish because my damage engines are utterly disrupted, I always have the option to keep 1-1/2-1ing their cards while milling to win. Is there anything better out there? I don't want the mana-expensive filter land or the 6 mana/2 damage burn land.
   
   
2. Mainboard counterspells vs. sideboard counterspell
   s. Counterflux and syncopate are mainboard because they're the most versatile, but I like the idea of keeping essence scatter/dissipate in the sideboard for both exile and cheap creature hate.
   
   
3. Augur of Bolas removed,
   Staticasters put in the sideboard. Fate and I talked through this one last night. 1/3 for 2mana is a great disruption to weenie aggro decks and is card advantage against control matchups, with the potential to put an answer in my hand. Against aggro weenies, Staticaster IS an answer and can be left in the sideboard for stronger draw/counters against other creature-light decks.
   
   Augur is also not a removal-worthy threat against aggro decks; Staticaster is. Staticaster has made someone name them with Nevermore; I can never envision Augur doing the same. Basically, everytime I've played Augur I've said "I wish this card were a staticaster and/or the spell I might draw instead..." AND Augur has also bottom-decked my valuable black sources too many times for me to be pleased with it.
   
   Against control, I would value a full set of sycopates or ANY other counterspell in my hand vs. augur, who MIGHT put one of the spells I wish he were instead into my hand. I'm rejecting him in this deck for a better minimalist creature spread: 4 delver of secrets, 4 guttersnipes, 2 talrand sky summoners. That's 10 creatures in a 1-3-4 curve that bait out removal on turns I'll have mana up for izzet charms, syncopate, dimir charms, etc.

The soul ransom is going to stay in the mainboard (and continue being sideboarded game 2) until it loses its WTF effect or I find a better card that gives me card advantage+removal in the same slot. Seriously, don't underestimate the effect cards like that have on player mentality. You guys might talk about optimized plays and mindsets of top tier players, but the people I'm playing in local tournaments are NOT top tier. These people can and will overeat to new threats (EVERYONE at the tournament stopped to read soul ransom 10 times when I played it, muttered about it darkly after the game). That mental effect isn't quantifiable, but is definitely an advantage on par with play mistakes in-game.

It's really gross to me that people in this thead just automatically suggest more expensive/meta cards as better alternatives to the stuff I'm using. Snapcaster mage is probably the only recommended thing I'd consider, and $80 for an extra removal bait isn't worth it at all to my deck. I also don't want to make my deck susceptible to graveyard hate and other meta sideboard decisions - my deck is supposed to catch you offguard, not put you in a situation you've seen before and can answer efficiently.

[Nuwen]

Fate and I are also talking about Cackling Counterpart, which REALLY forces someone's hand when Soul Ransom is on the board and also amplifies/protects my guttersnipe wincons quite cutely.

With Soul Ransom: Duplicating a threat you have removed/now control is game-ending. That's all there is to say. You force your opponent to immediately discard 2 cards (and you draw 2) to fizzle the target of Cacking Counterpart, giving you a net +1 card and -2 to opponent. YOU force hard decisions and come out ahead no matter what the outcome. Play again from the graveyard w/ flashback OR force your opponent to spend/budget grayeyard hate.

Without Soul Ransom: Guttersnipe is targeted by instant-speed removal and this can respond; saves counterspells for aggressive use instead of defensive play. A good compliment to Dimir Charm for preserving my wincons.

[chamber]

Crackling Counterpart is a pretty win-more card in most situations, which is too say it normally only does anything when you are already ahead. If you have no creatures in play, or even if you are just behind and need to use it proactively instead of reactively, leaving yourself open to getting removed in response, it ends up being very bad.

[Fate]

I wouldn't say she is "winning" if she has a lone guttersnipe on the board, which this has synergy with. Also forcing people to discard 2 to answer it on something soul ransomed or face down two threats is huge.

Like:
Swing with ransomed thing, they spear it or something to avoid damage, you copy it. Now they can face the copy instead or they can trade even MORE cards and give 2 cards to nuwen as a response. a Lsoe lose and not even a vexing devil sort of lose lose a card advantage at its finest lose lose.

Is it a bad card as the last card in your hand and being behind?

Yeah, but how many other cards in standard can I make that argument against. Resto angel looks pretty shitty when its all you have against XXXX. Mizzium mortars looks pretty crappy when you're facing down 2 boros reckoners that have resolved. Cards are shit when you're behind. If a deck's strategy is to be proactively ahead and answering things, then cards like this might have a place.

Some games you just lose, and it doesnt matter WHAT last card you had.

I seriously think you're just being narrow minded here Chamber

[chamber]

I wouldn't say she is "winning" if she has a lone guttersnipe on the board, which this has synergy with. Also forcing people to discard 2 to answer it on something soul ransomed or face down two threats is huge.

Right, but if they are pressured to remove it shes winning. If they can afford to leave it in play, when she does try to crackling it, it will just get killed in response 1.5 for 1ing herself.

edit: I really wanted to make the card not awful when it first came out, so I'm talking from experience more than narrow mindedness.

[Fate]

1.5 for 1ing?

What the hell? Soul ransom giver her TWO cards and costs him TWO.

Since she cast a spell that fizzles she only gains 1 NET.

So +1 her -2 him.

I'm not seeing how this is bad.

If they aren't pressured to remove it she just improved her board state and (maybe) triggered a Snipe or talrand.


You say you tried it when this card FIRST came out

That's not the same as now.

If it a card wasn't good when it first came out that doesn't mean it will never be good in the standard enviroment.

Soul ransom didn't exist back then, did Guttersnipe?

I also think your playstyle and sort of decks you use to win with are much too different than Nuwen's for you to fairly give feedback.

Your form of "control" is too white chamber. You are much more reliant on "safety" cards, so obviously you're not going to "get" a deck like Nuwen's.

I mean correct me if I'm wrong here, but would you ever play in Grixis in standard with all cards available to you for free? Would you EVER play Grixis when Sphinx's Revelation exists?

I'm pretty sure the answer is no. You love Sphinx's revelation too much. Its never a dead card right? Its always going to both stabilize you (Safety) AND get you card advantage no matter what right? Its a safe, reliable, good card.

Why would you trade that for risky hand destruction forms of CA and aggressive control tactics?

If I'm coming off as too judgemental here, forgive me because that's not my intentions (I try to understand, not judge), but my reads on this site have been historically better than average. And my read here is that you're being narrow minded because you are speaking from your own playstyle and view of magic, rather than seeing the potential (a more "experimental" attitude, which is what Red blue colors signify) in new decks.

The fact that you don't post "new" decklists but instead "reactively" sit back and judge other decklists shows that you are pretty firmly in Blue white mindset like I was thinking, so understanding a deck that isn't in this colors is hard for you. "Why play risky when you can play safe sphinx's?" is what your subconscious is telling you. Its because risk can pay off if you're willing to make it.

Are we better magic players than you? No. No one's saying that. Obviously you and a lot of other people making comments on nuwen's deck are much more experienced. And that comes into play OFTEN when PLAYING magic. You beat me pretty regular on cockatrice, I'm sure you'd beat Nuwen to. That is NOT proof that her deck design is bad though, it means you played better.

Deck design is more about a puzzle than skill. What beats the meta game? Whats interesting? What will surprise people? I think that's a skill you can have, being inventive and

creative

, without necessarily being good at magic.