Chris Nicholson – Strictly Average – MTG https://strictlyaveragemtg.com When Strictly Better is just out of reach. Mon, 16 Jul 2018 13:07:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.2 124146750 EDHPSA: Oblivion Ring is not removal https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2018/06/13/edhpsa-oblivion-ring-is-not-removal/ https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2018/06/13/edhpsa-oblivion-ring-is-not-removal/#respond Wed, 13 Jun 2018 08:30:48 +0000 https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/?p=2386 Greetings, Average MtGers! I’m back with another PSA today, and I’d like to discuss why I do not consider effects like Oblivion Ring to be removal. Before you voice all those thoughts running through your mind, yes I concede there are caveats to this; we’ll talk about caveats down the line. But overall, I do not count these cards as removal when building my decks.

“Don’t worry everyone….I’ll be back.”

We have seen several iterations of Oblivion Ring over the years (though I feel a bit bad not giving credit to Faceless Butcher), and each card has seemed less powerful than before. I’m speaking of cards such as Journey to Nowhere, Banishing Light, and even Grasp of Fate and Aligned Hedron Network. The problem I find in these cards is their lack of permanence. Yes, they are permanents, which is part of the issue; they don’t grant a permanent solution to your opponents’ threats. If I’m spending a card to remove one of theirs, why would I give it a chance to come back?

Remember those caveats I mentioned? Let’s look at them. The early versions of this effect are worded so they can exile something for good. Faceless Butcher and Fiend Hunter are solid choices for decks built to sacrifice and recur their creatures when there’s a sac outlet handy that can be utilized at instant speed. If the deck is designed for this then full speed ahead; otherwise I feel they aren’t worth playing. The same holds for Oblivion Ring and Detention Sphere. Considered staples for enchantress decks, without ways to sac enchantments I would not look to them. Sphere gets some bonus points when facing token decks, and both it and Ring are great with Sun Titan, so indeed there are exceptions. The one version I find to be interesting is Palace Jailer. If you have a meta that is low on combat damage, it can be quite strong when coupled with the continued card draw from being the Monarch. I want to play in your meta – Editor

“I REALLY hope this bubble doesn’t burst.”

Since I am arguing against these effects, how about some cards that can (and probably should) replace them? Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile are the obvious choices, but likely those are already used. So let’s dig a little deeper. One of my favorites is Crib Swap. It may only target creatures, but for the same CMC as O-Ring, all they receive is a 1/1. It also will trigger some tribal abilities; it will give you a token if you’re playing Edgar Markov, and Depala, Pilot Exemplar will put it into your hand when revealed. Another fine mention is Ashes to Ashes. At first glance the five damage may be scary, but it is a small price to exile two creatures with a single card. And since those two are for creatures, I’ll end with something for those pesky artifacts and enchantments. Return to Dust is a must play, but even cards like the recent Forsake the Worldly are fine choices. Exile plus the ability to cycle is very handy in EDH.

Again, I know cards like O-Ring have their place. For some strategies they can shine, as long as your deck caters to them. But in too many games I’ve seen them used as general (not commander) removal. Suddenly they are swept away by Austere Command or Acidic Slime, leaving the original culprit back on the battlefield. So please, when you fill out your removal package, choose those cards that will be a more permanent solution to troublesome permanents.

]]> https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2018/06/13/edhpsa-oblivion-ring-is-not-removal/feed/ 0 2386 EDH PSA: Battlefield Awareness https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2018/02/08/edh-psa-battlefield-awareness/ https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2018/02/08/edh-psa-battlefield-awareness/#comments Thu, 08 Feb 2018 11:30:23 +0000 https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/?p=1535

  It has been some time since my last PSA. I moved back to first shift at work, and now regularly attend my LGS for Commander night. This past Wednesday was a solid evening of games. I managed to squeeze five games into four hours (shout out to my Edgar Markov deck for making two of them end quickly), and the final game brought about an idea for this article.

  I am sure plenty of us have games where we put blinders on, and focus solely on developing our own board. When this occurs you can miss important plays, or key permanents that truly need to be removed from the field. Your board seems stable, and there is no worry of an opponent killing the table, when you suddenly lose the game. This kind of experience highlights the importance of having battlefield awareness.

My mindset during an edh game.

  In multiplayer games, and Commander in particular, the battlefield can become cluttered, confusing, or simply overwhelming. It is easy to focus on your quadrant and react only when in dire straights. However, I firmly believe in being proactive when assessing threats and potential problems for future turns rather than waiting until your hand is forced. I make a point to destroy unwanted permanents as soon as I am able, especially those that could potentially end the game.

  To set the stage, I was piloting my Sidisi, Brood Tyrant Spider Spawning deck (shout out to Brian David-Marshall for this one) and facing in turn order The Scarab God, Karlov of the Ghost Council, and Ghave, Guru of Spores. Karlov was off white mana for several early turns, Ghave was not doing much other than playing some enchantments, and I was happily milling myself away. The Scarab God was helping me do so, thinking his job in the late game would be made easier as I was doing half the work for him. We all started interacting with each other as usual, and Karlov finally hit a couple Plains so he could develop his board as well.

  Fast forward several turns to Karlov casting Enlightened Tutor to find Exquisite Blood, with Sanguine Bond already on the battlefield. He cast it on his turn, so luckily there was time for us to react. The Ghave player cast Oblivion Ring to exile the Bond (though this felt like borrowed time with how fragile O-ring tends to be. I could write a seperate piece entirely about this type of ‘removal’. You should – Editor

I took my turn, not doing much, and passed. Scarab God recurred Bribery and targeted the player piloting Ghave. Scarab God had started to become worried about me, so after a little searching he choose Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and dropped her onto the field (making some comment about keeping ‘zombie-boy’ in check). This killed a few things that had been played since the last board wipe, but not much. Suddenly, shortly after Ms Norn’s timely (and inevitable) trip into exile, Karlov played Vizkopa Guildmage and immediately drained us all for the win.

Sometimes finding answers is far better than big, flashy plays.

  I fully believe Scarab God could have, and should have, found something in the Ghave deck to be rid of Exquisite Blood. At any moment a Mortify, Anguished Unmaking, or even Disenchant from Karlov could have ended us all by removing the O-ring. But that is not where Scarab God was looking, even though it was plainly a threat on the field. Analyzing the board state, and checking for threats that could kill you immediately, is an important step when making decisions in this game.

 What do you think? What do you take into account when situations like this arise? Do you play the part of cleaning up the battlefield, or are you one who goes after whatever looks best or most silly at the time? If you have answers to share on this, or comments on the deck I played, let me know in the comments section. But if you find yourself casting a spell, and have not taken a moment to search for potential dangers, remember it is best to have some battlefield awareness. Thanks.

]]> https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2018/02/08/edh-psa-battlefield-awareness/feed/ 1 1535 EDH Public Service Announcement: Please Pay for Rhystic Study https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2017/07/31/edh-public-service-announcement-please-pay-for-rhystic-study/ https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2017/07/31/edh-public-service-announcement-please-pay-for-rhystic-study/#respond Mon, 31 Jul 2017 16:27:17 +0000 https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/?p=1130 Greetings, again! It’s been a while since my last post here, and this time around I’m going to bring some (hopefully) useful, and continual insight to your EDH games. I’ve been strictly an EDH player (outside of the occasional pre-release) for many years, and I’ve seen plenty of interesting board-states develop. For my first article in this series, I’d like to talk about a card that has gone unchecked more times than anyone is comfortable admitting, Rhystic Study.

Surely, Rhystic Study has reared its head at your tables at least once, and we all dread that most heinous question: “Are you going to pay 1 for that?” A seemingly harmless enchantment at first glance, but one that allows players to run away with a game if left unchecked. This should be a priority target for any removal you can throw at it, and if an answer isn’t immediately available, then each player needs to pay the tax.

 Yes, I will pay 1 for that. I will ALWAYS pay 1 for that.

Keep in mind that when an opponent’s Rhystic Study triggers, it will be you who must make a decision first. It’s a gamble. If you cast a spell (instead of paying the one), thinking that they may forget their trigger, they can choose whether to draw their card or not, before your spell resolves. These type of triggers can be easily overlooked, and should be watched by everyone (similar to Lurking Predators).

Just recently, one of my opponents dropped this little gem. I did my due diligence of paying the tax on each spell that I cast, denying the Rhystic Study player the satisfaction of drawing additional cards. Our third player, however, did not. After a couple turns of this, we faced a battlefield reset by Cyclonic Rift. My next turn consisted of playing a few things to reestablish my board, still paying the tax. Then player three proceeded to drop most of their hand, following the former trend of allowing every trigger to end up as a card drawn. At this point our nemesis had drawn all they needed to win, and promptly did so.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

Could this end have been prevented? Maybe not, but at least there would have been a better chance had player three followed suit and simply paid the piper.  My point is that even though Rhystic Study can create an overwhelming advantage, it can be easily be prevented. I’ve heard players say upon its casting that they will never pay the 1. I firmly believe paying as often as you can manage is the better decision. I like to manage my play, and mana as if Rhystic Study is really a Sphere of Resistance. Yes, there can be exceptions to this, such as the Cowboys variant (or you may know it as Kingdoms), where not paying is a solid way to show who’s team you’re on, but generally giving an opponent more cards equates to a better chance for them to win.

I’m interested to hear your thoughts on this type of situation, and also your suggestions for upcoming discussions, or constructive criticism. Leave a comment here, or hit me up on PucaTrade or Discord. And until next time, I ask for all our benefit, please pay for Rhystic Study.

]]> https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2017/07/31/edh-public-service-announcement-please-pay-for-rhystic-study/feed/ 0 1130 Strictly Short – Have blade. Will travel. https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2017/01/04/strictly-short-have-blade-will-travel/ https://strictlyaveragemtg.com/2017/01/04/strictly-short-have-blade-will-travel/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2017 04:25:42 +0000 https://strictlyaverage.wordpress.com/?p=131 The following was submitted for the Strictly Average site from CNWeezard, an active trader on Puca Trade and fixture in the Discord chat channel.

The Nexus on Puca Trade is a glimpse of which cards are received daily. If you watch it for any amount of time, you may have noticed an irregular number of Topan Freeblade flowing through in the month of December. OK, honestly, an absurd amount of them. We have one great trader to thank (blame) for that, Mr Strictly Average himself.

The real question is: why? What reason does he desire these little gems? The art is fantastic, no doubt. A pet card, perhaps? It was a solid choice in limited, but what use could they server now? The reason is beyond all of these, and something more fun. Strictly Average has devised a plan to show that we are all part of a community; solidarity if you will.

He’s been sending Freeblades as extras with his packages, and asking the recipients to sign them and ship them out in their next trades. I received a few recently and have since sent one to Oregon and Brazil. The hope is that participation by a vast number of Puca Traders, passing these Freeblades along will show our appreciation for the site and its fellow members. I’d love to receive a Topan Freeblade full of signatures so that it may live forever in my Sigarda, Heron’s Grace Commander deck as a testament to the good work that Puca Trade has done for me.

Are you ready to get involved? Here’s how; should you receive one of these wandering Freeblades, please sign it with your user name (or real name) and send it along to the next trader. You can even be so bold to post something to one of Puca’s social media pages, using #HaveBladeWillTravel. We want to see these Freeblades moving across the globe, wearing countless names. Show the MtG world that Puca is still strong, and that many of us remain dedicated to the Give and Let Give philosophy.

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