We are still here!
Yes, as always the articles seem to die off for months at a time. But fear not, we are still here!
Expect more stuff after the holidays!
Scars of Mirrodin Release Party Report – Top 4
After coming off a 10th place finish at last weeks pre-release, I wasn’t too hopeful going into the release party. It was my 5th Sealed event so I have very little experience compared to Constructed. I had a very similar sealed pool compared to the pre-release with a few notable additions that changed my results dramatically.
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Dropping Sealed (Ratchet) Bombs
It’s been a while since I wrote an Act of Reason article, but I’ve been waiting on the Scars of Mirrodin spoilers before I write about my opinions on the new cards. Wizards of the Coast has been doing a fantastic job with keeping things under wraps, and today with only 4 days left until the Pre-Release. The pace at which cards have been spoiled has been just enough to keep you interested, but not so many that we are able to scheme and plan way ahead of the curve. Without any more blathering, let’s go!
FNM Reports posted for 9/17/2010
FNM reports are posted for 9/17/2010. They can be found in the FNM Report section.
To net deck or not to net deck? That is the question
So a while ago, I went on to defend net decking (sort of). So this week, I’m here to say if you’re going to net deck, for the love of god, know how to play the deck you choose for your FNM or weekend tourney. With that said, in this week’s Act of Reason, I’m going to discuss how to play a net deck and what you can learn from your mistakes.
Site changes
Yes, we have a new theme! Please be patient with us as things across the site will change.
Jund and M11
Until October, Jund will be running around Standard giving players Sprouting Thrinax filled nightmares. While the Jund color wheel might not have gotten the best crop of cards in the set, M11 still gives Jund some powerful options. Id like to highlight a few cards that I feel will make an impact on the most played deck in the format.
FNM and M11 Pre-release report
This past Friday I attended FNM at my favorite gaming spot, but I didn’t run Jund! I know, big Shocker there. I didn’t run Jund because I wanted to prove to myself (and some other people) that I can indeed win without playing Jund. Well, I did just that. I ended up placing top 4 (it was reported as 2nd) with a home brewish deck. I sleeved up the following:
WordPress upgraded to 3.0
Just a quick note, I upgraded WordPress to 3.0, so if anything is amiss please let me know!
Defending the boogeyman
Yes, I know, another post about Jund. It so happens I am a big supporter of the deck type, so I would obviously have a lot to say about it! This time around I want to hit on something I am increasingly seeing across the internets.
More and more I am seeing comments like “People who play Jund are not good players” or “Playing Jund requires no thinking, just playing and flipping cards.” Now, the majority of people who say that tend to fall into the “get beat by Jund a lot” category and refuse to say Jund is a good Tier 1 deck. Well folks this just is not true. While Jund is easier to play when compared to U/W control (or any control deck for that matter) it is far from easy to play. Countless times I have seen people come to FNM with a standard Jund build and fail to win a game while someone with the same exact build places top 4. This is due to the player, not the deck.
I first started piloting Jund back when Zendikar rotated in. My first builds included Madrush Cyclops, Sedraxis Specters and a few other odd cards. My first time out I placed top 4 and introduced that store to the boogeyman. No one was playing Jund before that and no one was prepared. After that I started looking at what the pro’s were playing and started changing my deck. Almost every week I would come in with a different version then I had the week before. After a while the store I played at started getting flooded with Jund builds. They all had the same core cards (Sprouting Thrinax, Bloodbraid Elf, Blightning, Lightning Bolt, etc) with a few odd builds, mine included. Now if the theory “anyone can play Jund” was true, you would expect to see a variety of people placing top 4 with Jund, correct? Well, this wasn’t true. Every week the same Jund decks would be near the top (mine included) and the others would have poor records. I had a few bad weeks myself, mostly when I played with some crazy idea’s that never worked, but when I stuck to the core set of cards that I felt worked, I won. I also noticed I would have a bad week if something was bothering me or if something was going on with my life. Back when my last relationship fell apart, I had a string of poor finishes. Was this due to my deck? No, it was due to the player.
You may ask yourself “Why do you play Jund every week? Don’t you know how to play anything else?” That is a pretty good question and one I get asked every week. I play Jund every week because I feel it has the tools to compete with every deck in the format. I have played many other decks using Magic Workstation and other testing means and I always find myself coming back to Jund. The meta where I play is also Jund friendly, so it makes more sense to run a deck that will do well. There was a time where all the non-Jund decks were stacked with Jund hate and that is when I started changing things up. The standard Jund builds would fall while the innovators would rise.
It will be interesting to see what happens when Shards/M10 rotates out. I am willing to wager you will see the same players who top 4 with Jund top 4′ing with whatever deck they choose to play.