Magic: The Gathering,GO TEAM MS!

[AGar]

P sure I could make half the cost of this box back and I've only opened 4 packs.. o.O

[Gammagooey]

still have a hallowed fountain and temple garden reck

[Fate]

I have two temple gardens+sunpetal grove

trade for the reckoners back and huehuefullcircle

[bv310]

Tend to enjoy the constraints of Block Constructed more than Standard since I think tighter guidelines forces more creativity, and Pauper is just cheap.

If you want to see a variant format survive locally, you are probably going to have to own it. Find a store that has a night thats not already occupied, declare it pauper night yourself, advertise on local facebook magic groups etc, have a bunch of decks for people to use if they show up, to get them interested in the format. Keep this up an hope the community around it grows.

One of the Thunder Bay shops is starting up a Block Wars Constructed League. When you sign up, you choose a Block, then your deck has to follow that format, banlist and all.

If I was there, chances are high that I'd be playing either Onslaught-block Slide, or Alara-block Sovereigns of Lost Alara.

[Natirasha]

3-1'd past two pauper dailies with Mono-Black Control. Apparently, running seven land destruction spells main deck IS a way to beat Fissure-Post!

[Thestatusquo]

I assume its unsanctioned and with proxies?

[bv310]

I assume its unsanctioned and with proxies?

Nope, no proxies, and it's being sanctioned as a "casual" event.

[InflatablePie]

Alright, Fate, you've converted me. I'm buying stuff for R/G Sligh this week, practicing/tweaking for the next monthish, then taking it to a PTQ and the end of July.

On that note, what the fuck do I put in my sideboard help

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/pies-gruuldw/

[Maestro]

I 404ed, Pie :/

[InflatablePie]

fixed

[Natirasha]

Got 84th at gp houston this weekend. This format is really fun. Day one, I ran 5 color control(classic Tajic->Vraska curve), day two I went 3-0 in the first draft with Grixis Mill, and then went 0-3 with the worst BUG deck I've ever drafted.

[Fate]

well youve got the core Pyreheart wolfx4 and VSx4, and the rest is just flex spots.

Loyalist does some work against Junk Aristocrats.

Elecktrickery can OCCASIONALLY be good against Junk rites killing 2-3 dorks+lingering souls or something, is also good against mirror aggro and crushes naya blitz.

Domri Rade really isn't necessary so don't bother trying to track him down.

Never been a fan of TBlood variants because there isn't enough stuff to take out in my experience without diluting your deck.

Mortars isn't bad, especially if the "izzet blitz" deck becomes popular and you need to kill Nivix cyclops.

Ranger's guile is worth experimenting because fuck the UWr Flash and Esper match-up sometimes.

Personally 3x pillar and 4x madcap skills makes your control match pretty hard. LMauler crushes that match-up. Madcap is usually guaranteed for 3 damage if you play it on 1 drop, if you dont have a 1drop BTE+LM is much better, plus LM+1 drop for 3 mana is pretty good especially if you curve into hellrider (LM gives hellrider triggers). Also hasting out pyreheart wolf and boros reckoner can't be ignored either.

I would run either Madcap OR pillars MB, whichever you feel is more important. Yeah LM feels sad when you play him and they play lingering souls, but he's better against any deck that "stumbles" or tries to stabilize off one removal spell (which will be easy for them if you madcap something).

Madcap is better vs. voice and naya and creature defenses, which is why I run both. I don't run Pillars MB because its just always underwhelmed me, but its probably a playstyle thing and up for debate.

[Debonair Danny DiPietro]

I will say the prize support for all the "main" side tourneys at Origins/SCG was hilariously good; RTR block sealed 2HG for $26, solid deal already for 8 packs. 8 teams register and prize support to... Top 8 with top two teams getting From The Vault: Legends or Realms for each head. Bomb out going 1-2, as long as you stick around here have four packs and crack a Voice of Resurgence and make the entire thing profitable, fantastic.

[Natirasha]

SCG pretty much always shows up Wizards in their Opens. Better prizes, higher quality streams, cheaper entry, more depth to side events.

Although, the GP Houston Unified Ravnica Block sealed was pretty awesome, if expensive as hell.

[bv310]

I've found the proper WotC streams to be consistently mediocre. Rich Hagon and co. aren't the best casters, but they're definitely acceptable, bordering on good. SCG's streams tend to be quite hit-or-miss. This weekend, having Cedric Phillips and Riki Hayashi casting was awesome, last weekend's whoever-the-fuck-that-was were

terrible

.

[bv310]

Also fun, someone 4-0'd a Modern Daily using Travis Woo's Green Millions deck: http://www.mtgo-stats.com/decks/63686

[InflatablePie]

The other downside to running Pillars SB is that it takes up 3-4 SB slots, which I don't like doing. I might just drop the Madcaps for LMs to add extra security against control G1. I could also try running 2 Pillar main (add one and an Electrickery to the side), three Madcap main, drop a Rider, and go back to 20 land to add 3x LM, but that dilutes my deck slightly. Hrm.

If I were to leave the MB alone and drop the 2 Bloods (I do like the idea of having it in there but meh), I probably would add another Electrickery. Is Ash Zealot SB-worthy? Should I use 2 or 3 if I'm using her? I could drop Loyalists+Bloods for an Electrickery and three Zealots (or run a one-of if I go with the MB plan above).

[xRECKONERx]

I don't think Madcap is too good overall but I suppose it can work.

[InflatablePie]

Only downside is that it hurts my game 1 against Jund or any other deck that runs lots of early removal. Slip etc. in response to capping a Noble sucks, as does swinging into AzoCharm. It ends up being a 2 mana for 3/6+ damage spell if it connects once, but it doesn't do much to build up my board. High risk.

[AGar]

I think you're probably better off running two more mountains than those two Temple Gardens.

[Fate]

The temple gardens are great, do you have experience with the deck at all AGar?

I did Ash Zealot as a 3/4x in the SB, and she does some work against control and doubletime against lingering souls. It'd be an easy 1-1 swap post board with firefist striker against any snapcaster deck, OR any lingering soul deck.

She is, oddly enough, too slow for the MB though.

[Natirasha]

Madcap is pretty bad, honestly. I could see it as a one-of against some super-durdly Maze's End-type deck, maybe. I dunno. Is that even a thing? Every deck has answers for it. I'd just run some Lightning Maulers and max out on Pillars.

[Fate]

madcap is pretty good, if yuo consider 2 mana for 3 damage is the equivalent of a spear, and some games it just steals if they DONT have an answer in hand and were relying on creature defense (tap out for voice? heres a madcap bitch)

I was only saying that in combination with pillars as well, the control match-up might be very unfavorable, so some balance should be found.

[xRECKONERx]

I think you're probably better off running two more mountains than those two Temple Gardens.

Temple Gardens are fantastic for casting Reckoners and the green splashes

[Thestatusquo]

I think that skills is good in the sense that it is an answer to problems the deck otherwise would just lose to. It serves the same function as pyreheart wolf did in really old builds last season. There are plenty of times where you just scoop to turn 3 smiter or turn four flashed resto/advent of the wurm or a thragtusk. Skills gives you an out in those situations, and is pretty good at piling on damage even when you don't have to play around those cards.