COMICS OF MAGIC

COMICS OF MAGIC

            The comic above is from cardboard-crack.com.  The comic strips on their webpage are about one of the most addictive game on tabletop, Magic the Gathering. I chose this particular comic strip only because I feel very relatable to it. Most of their comic strips are funny, real, and relatable in some way shape or form. This one is one of their not so funny ones but it’s still good because you can relate to it in so many ways. I’m sure a lot of people also feel the same way from this particular comic strip.

            Sometimes in life you may feel bullied, let down, get your feelings hurt by other people. Most people would go and pop pills or commit suicide (depending on how much of their life they were given crap) or runaway. Sometimes you would be better off forgetting about all the bad things that were happening to you and do what you do best, play magic the gathering (providing if you do play the game at all). A good compliment is the best feeling to receive. Sometimes all it takes is one simple compliment to make your day worth it.

            Sure I don’t get called a genius at magic games I’ve played, but someone saying “hey, that deck is pretty good” is good enough for me. I’ve been told I do a lot of wrong things at jobs, my personal life, and everyone pretty experience it on the road with other drivers (even if you didn’t do anything wrong). Simple thing to do is to not let it get you down. If you are feeling down from everyday life, put your magic decks to work and show it who the boss is.

          I would like to thanks cardboard-crack.com for letting me use this comic strip for my blog and as promised I will put their links up for their webpages. They do amazing work with the comic strips and obviously a big magic the gathering fan.

What’s your favorite cardboard-crack comic strip?

Leave comments of your thoughts.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Cardboard-crack links:

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/CardboardCrack

Webpage: http://cardboard-crack.com/

If you like the card-board crack comic strips they also have books full of them. You can purchase them on amazon by clicking here.

SHOCKERS ‘R’ US

I’ve wanted to make a deck full of burn and shock like spells with very little creatures in the deck. Until recently I wasn’t going to make it due to funding and such, well, more like not getting around making the idea happen. I’ve searched around on google (am I allowed to use that name?), and I shockingly find out that there really isn’t an extravagant amount of decks out there that has the same idea as me. I was expecting to find it the top 8 pro-tour or events somewhere but not really finding them. Surely there are people out there that have decks in the deck piles somewhere that are just shock and burn types of deck, right?

I’ve had this idea for quite some time now. Just now I’m getting around to putting it to work. Talk about being lazy right? That’s what happens when you can’t find a job for over 4 years. My deck idea is posted on tappedout.com and I tested it out a few times and kind of liked it, but I feel like something is missing or something needs to be added to the deck. Which in most cases, I feel the same way with all of my decks. Even the ones that are completed, but still have the feeling that it needs to have something else in with it. Strange right?

I have compiled my ideal burn deck on tappedout.com. completed with a huge maybe board, just because the deck in the mainboard needs something. Here’s what I have so far.

Creature (23)
3x Archetype of Aggression
4x Chandra's Phoenix
4x Ember Swallower
4x Guttersnipe
4x Hellraiser Goblin
4x Satyr Firedancer

Instant (16)
4x Lightning Strike
4x Magma Jet
4x Shock
4x Titan's Strength

Land (25)
25x Mountain

To me it doesn’t look like it could do a whole lot. So I added a maybe board just to make myself feel better. Remember I am aiming for standard. Here’s my maybeboard.

Maybeboard (39)
4x Bolt of Keranos
4x Everflame Eidolon
4x Flame-Wreathed Phoenix
4x Madcap Skills
4x Ordeal of Purphoros
4x Prophetic Flamespeaker
4x Rage of Purphoros
4x Searing Blood
4x Skullcrack
3x Spawn of Thraxes

The basic idea behind the deck is to burn (or shock) the other player’s life total down, quickly. Also I can use the shocks and bolts to burn their creatures off the battlefield, providing that they don’t get countered and or won’t do enough damage to get rid of them. I’m asking for some help with this one because well, I’m not sure which way to go with this type of deck.

What would you do?

What’s your favorite type of deck to play with and why?

Please leave comments of your thoughts.

Thanks for reading my blog.

TRADING GUIDELINE (ideas to go by)

Trading has been around for a long time. Kind of hard to pin point when it exactly first started, but it’s been going on way beyond our lifetimes.  Trading magic cards is something I’ve started doing recently this past year. Due to the community on google+ and how awesome the people are on in it, I started trading and making my decks better.

As the trading was going on I learned how to do it the right way and make it fair for everyone. I’m not the one who wants to try and rip other people off or base it off of strictly value of the card instead of just wanting the card, there’s only certain people I know that would just trade for the sake of wanting the card, not base on values. So I came up with a guideline to follow (you don’t have to follow the guideline exactly) below.

1. Make sure it’s the right cards you are trading away. Sometimes the other trader wants specific artist or card they’re looking for.

2. There are times where they don’t state exactly what they want but the card name; there are cards that were reprinted from old sets in newer sets. So be sure to have the right card and confirm, confirm 15 times if you have to make sure it’s exactly what they want.

3. Conditions, be sure that you are trading what you stated the card condition is in. if you say your card is near mint, be sure it’s that condition; not damaged, heavily played, or taped back together. Don’t lie about your cards condition.

4. When trading through mail from websites (deckbox.org, pucatrade, etc) send your cards in an envelope with a hard top loader sleeve with the card sleeved in it. Tape the top so the card doesn’t slide out. Also get a piece of cardboard cut out to the size of the card and tape the hard card sleeve with the card in it. If trading from pucatrade be sure to write the pucatrade number on the cardboard and on the outside of the envelope.

5. Be sure the envelope is sealed shut so it doesn’t open during shipment. That would suck if the card got out while being shipped and you get the empty envelope.

        It’s not much of a guideline if you already know how to do trading, and I'm sure there are more to the list but this is all i can think of so far. But it can be helpful for newer people who are just getting into the game of magic the gathering. If you are not sure of what to do ask someone and I’m sure they would be more than gladly to help out a fellow magic player.

What card trading technique do you have?

Please comment your thoughts.

Thanks for reading my blog.

CONSPIRED TO WRITE

The new booster draft set “conspiracy” is out now for your FNM draft or whenever your LGS does draft. It’s a new multi-player set that has new cards along with lots of reprints from magic history. The new set is designed for 6-8 multi-player draft and separated into groups of three or four player free for all games.

The new cards in the set can have an effect on the draft itself before even playing the game. For example, the card cogwork librarian card if drafted is face up, as you draft you can draft an additional card and if you do put cogwork librarian into that booster pack. Weird abilities like that can happen. Some would help other players in their games as well. You will never know what kind of card you would draw or the player would draw either. When you eliminate the other players and you are the one player left, you win (obviously).

This is short because I don’t know enough about the new set to really write stuff about it. Plus I don’t draft much myself. I’m more of the limited type of player, not taking a card and pass it to someone else to choose cards out of it. I rather have all the cards for myself, sounds selfish right? Not really.

Would you rather draft or do limited?

What are your thoughts of the new booster draft set and how it can be played?

Please comment your thoughts.

Thanks for reading my blog.

MY JOURNEY EXPERIENCE

      Saturday evening, me and my brother in law entered All the King’s Men game shop in pitman, NJ for the journey into nyx prerelease sealed event. Upon entering the shop the shop owner announced that there are only a very few white left, 3 to be exact. Right away I shouted I’ll take one. The owner decided to step in and play due to small turn out, which is including the owner, 8 people. The owner decided that everyone would get a booster pack to the person in whatever place they are in, in other words, a pity pack. And do 3 rounds instead of 4.

      Now it’s time to sort through the cards and see what I got. This is one of those moments where I wish I had written down what cards I ended up using during the game. But first round didn’t do so well for me. My opponent beat me down pretty good with his black and red deck, destroying my creatures every turn. I was also doing ok with my second hand of round 1 got him down to 9 but he came out swinging for 13 with his creatures. 0-1.

      The next round I got paired up against the owner. My w/u against his mono white. First hand he got me good. The second hand took the longest of going back and forth. I manage to get my flyers out (one of them has double strike), enchanting them with +1/+1 counters and life link. He came out with a big creature with the power toughness of 5/6 and I casted nullify to counter his creature. He swings with his creatures he has out with 5. And then it was my turn to do stuff. Cast another flyer out on the battlefield and swung with all of my creatures killing him and I gained life. I gained enough life to get me up to 37 life total. Which he had me down pretty far before the life gaining happens. Then we were a draw as far as wins, but he decided to give me a win and drop out to go home and walk his dogs. He said that was such an amazing game he played with me.

       Then the last round was against my brother in law with his g/u. I’m just gonna cut it short and say he beat me both hands. Almost had him in the second hand but I made the mistake of attacking with all my creatures and have nothing to block. It wouldn’t have really matter either way because most of his creatures are hexproof and pretty much unblockable. He swung with a 6/6 with me having only 3 life left. And for the first time ever I walked out of an event with a win, 1-2.

I’m going to leave you with a few questions
1. What was your color for prerelease?
2. How did you do win/loss wise?
3. What good cards did you get?

Leave me a comment with your thoughts and thanks for reading my blog.

SPOILERS “R” US, my favorite time of the year.

        Spoiler time is my favorite time of the year for in between expansions of what to expect in the upcoming new set. It’s a great deciding factor to get the set or not, but most of know pretty darn well that we would buy into the set no matter what. Unless you are so disgusted with the new set that you would quit magic and sell your whole collection for a small payout, then regret it later. Don’t be that guy or gal.

        Spoilers are also great for learning about the new mechanics or returning mechanics for the new set. Some are really cool and some gets you wondering why they would even think of putting that mechanic on there. I like how they try and come up with new mechanics for the set so it doesn’t get boring. Even bring back a mechanic from an earlier set is still cool, as long as it’s a good mechanic. Bushido this means you.

         Strive and constellation is the new mechanics for the journey into nyx set. Inspired and heroic has a use in the new set along with devotion with the gods. A spell with strive ability lets you pump more mana into it to increase the number of targets. Constellation ability triggers every time it or another enchantment enters the battlefield under the player's control. Most of the enchantments with constellation abilities in Journey into Nyx are enchantment creatures, but not all of them.

         What do you think of the new mechanics and cards for journey into nyx? Let me know in the comments and share, like, do whatever the fancy things you do.

                        Thanks for reading my blog.

THE INVENTORY BUILD

I’ve decided that I was going to inventory my collection onto the computer just because I have an OCD thing about it and I want to keep track of my cards a little better. I would do excel spreadsheet with them but I haven’t done a spreadsheet since jr high school, plus they are a pain for me to figure out how to use (plus I don’t even have excel on my computer, I think). If anyone wants to help then be my guest.

My original idea for me to do this is because of the Google + community full of Magic the Gathering players. The community is very helpful in helping other people without being a troll or a goblin about it (except for a certain person that can’t be named). I’m still kind of shaky with the idea of doing this because I’m afraid the outcome wouldn’t be good. In fact I almost scrapped the idea entirely and just do an inventory for myself. There was a part of me that wants to just go through with it and see what happens.

For my idea of even doing the inventory is to let the community help me build a deck (standard of course) that I can use for FNM or open trials. All the credits will go to whoever helps build the deck. I will put some input in it as well, not going to be one of those guys that make the other people do their work for them. I had a couple of positive feedback about it when I posted the idea, so hopefully it will still work out like I hope.

I will post the list in google doc for my inventory, because that seems to be the best way for everyone to see the list without it messing up the format. I am also open for trades on a lot the cards listed as well, just ask me and we will go from there. I have a wish list on deckbox.org of what I’m looking for as well. Worst thing that could happen is me saying no.

CLICK HERE to see the list. Let me know in the comments or you can email me by going onto my Google + <--click that and look at my about tab to find the email there. If it gets to argumentive between people, I’m going to put a stop to it.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Is this a good idea or a bad idea? Let me know In the comments.

EXCITEMENT…FOR NOTHING…

Ever do a booster draft or just buy booster packs and get excited about certain cards that you got in the booster pack? Ever find out that certain card you got excited about you already had multiple of? Not that it happened to me, but it happened to me last week.

Now you feel weird for getting excited about those cards you’ve gotten, as long as no one else knows and maybe you can come up with a story behind it which is somewhat true but not really, should anyone find out.

When you have a vast collection like most magic players do (if not all of them), you tend to forget some of the cards you have already in your collection. It happens to me all the time. It probably happens to other players too that has been playing since it came out in ’93 or recent years. Best thing to do is either sell off the many multiple you have or trade them for other cards you could really use in vintage, legacy, modern, EDH, or standard.

It’s a weird moment when you open your box of magic cards and (I don’t know if anyone else does this) go to where the manna cost order you need to put the card in, and find 4 or 5 or even 11 of the same card that you somehow forgot you have, simply because you have multiple decks with the same card and have no use for the ones sitting in your box. Like I said before, not that it happened to me, but it happened to me last week.

What’s the one card you got excited about and forgot you have multiple copies of the same card?

Please leave a comment and thanks for reading my blog.

INSPIRED TO DO SOMETHING (THE GOOD AND THE BAD)

        Inspired is a unique mechanic that can be really useful or not. Like most creatures would normally do when they are tapped, is they become untapped and the inspired mechanic triggers.

       Some creatures with inspired can be triggered right when they become untapped, some you would have the choice to pay mana cost to trigger it, unlike bestowed enchantment creatures, the mana cost isn’t usually high to trigger the inspired mechanic. For example, let’s take Fellhide spiritbinder that is a 3 colorless and a red mountain to cast. After your turn is over and the opponent took his or her turn, now it’s time to do untapping of your creatures and mana. Now the Fellhide spiritbinder is untapped, you choose to do the inspired mechanic so you pay 1 colorless and a red mountain mana, then you put a token on the battlefield that is a copy of another creature except it’s an enchantment in addition to its other types. It also gains haste and you exile it at the beginning of the next end step.

       There are some creatures where you don’t have to pay mana cost to trigger its mechanic to do anything. You just untap the creature and the inspired mechanic triggers.  Some will give you life gain, a +2/+0 (till end of turn), tap target creature, put +1/+1 counters on it, ETC. there are different kinds of things that inspired does when it’s triggered. Some are ok and some are not ok, it depends on your style of playing.

Which inspired mechanic creature is your favorite?

Please leave a comment of your thoughts.

Thanks for reading my blog!

TRIBUTE, A WIN-WIN SITUATION

With the official release of born of the gods coming out February 7^th-9^th 2014, I figure I talk about one of the new mechanics for the set, Tribute. It’s a great mechanic to work with. The odd part is letting the other player decide either or not to pay the tribute. It could work to your advantage either way.

Tribute comes in different shape and form. Mostly with counters if the tribute is paid. Nessian wilds ravager (which is a hydra 6/6 creature with a 4 and two green mana to bring out) has tribute 6 mechanics. The opponent chooses if it would get 6 +1/+1 counters on it or if they don’t pay the tribute, the creature then fights another target creature. This could kill the other creature that is untapped from blocking you when you attack with the other creatures on the battlefield.

Other form of tribute can do things like cast and instant or sorcery without paying the mana cost, putting tokens out on the battlefield, gaining life, gain control of another creature, etc.  They have the tribute mechanic for each of the colors as well, not just certain ones.

I like the new mechanics that born of the gods has to offer. Not just the tribute. I’ve heard a lot of people aren’t too happy with the set; I seem to like it enough. But I just know that the 3^rd set in this block is just going to be epic, which is journey into nyx and it’s coming out in May of this year.

What is your favorite new mechanic?

Comment with your thoughts

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.