Author Topic: Shards of Alara (Read 8834 times)

Elf_Lvr · « **on:** September 21, 2008, 06:53:31 PM »

Alright guys. Let's discuss Shards. You know you want to.

What do you think about transitioning from the two-color/tribal theme of Lorwyn block to the three-color Shards?

What crazy things from Lorwyn do you think you could pack into a trip-color Shards deck?

What's your favorite Shard? Which one do you think will be best?

NEW PLANESWALKERZ ZOMG!1! Thoughts?

SomeRandomDude · « **Reply #1 on:** September 21, 2008, 08:38:02 PM »

BANT FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem. I'm personally a fan of that crazy insane Rafiq of the Many w00t! Zat is teh pwnzer espe w/ Manaplasm. Dude, Manaplasm + Warhammer with a bunch of exalted, can you say drop down a Rafiq and win?

Naya is sweetness also. Jund and Esper are plain broken. And Grixis is wimpy.

But yeah. I'm working on a combo deck for Manaplasm that revolves around dropping it, Cerulean Wisps to drop Double Cleave and smack.

Manaplasm, teh new Storm Deck!

And Torrent of Souls is so going into Alara, definitely. Can you say, JUND? I'm seeing Jund slaughtering Standard and Esper pwning Expanded, Bant and Naya being decent and people hating Grixis. They were right about the shard with no life. Like, none at all.

Okay, card that is totally being played...Stillmoon Cavalier. ZOMG every shard has either White or Black, so can u say pro-white/black? Yes plz.

FM · « **Reply #2 on:** September 22, 2008, 07:57:03 AM »

What can I say? We'll end up having 5-color-good-stuff decks all over the place. Forget tribes, that's... not happening. Not in the immediate future, anyway. I'm SOOO looking forward to adding Wholly Thoctar and Wild Nacatl to my Extended beatdown deck, though!

SomeRandomDude · « **Reply #3 on:** September 22, 2008, 08:02:13 AM »

That joke lore on MtG salvation for woolly thoctar was hilarious.

"You know the only difference between a Woolly Thoctar and a hockey mom? Lipstick."

LOL

Elf_Lvr · « **Reply #4 on:** September 22, 2008, 05:42:56 PM »

I really like the looks of Esper, myself. Always preferred U/W/B to R and G anyways.

I'm kind of afraid of rampant artifact hate shutting it down. You know everyone's gonna sideboard (at least) 4-ofs of mass artifact hate.

I guess I'll just pack a bunch of counters.

EDIT: Just saw Crucible of Fire. I SO hope D-storm gets a reprint in eleventh.

SomeRandomDude · « **Reply #5 on:** September 22, 2008, 07:03:47 PM »

Not gonna happen. D-storm was a TSP reprint.

Play it with Mirror Entity.

Reprint Shattering Spree.

FM · « **Reply #6 on:** September 23, 2008, 09:42:07 AM »

Why? There's already the Artifact Wrath (Shatterstorm?) anyway.

SomeRandomDude · « **Reply #7 on:** September 23, 2008, 07:37:17 PM »

B/c it drops all your nifty accelerators and such stuff.

FM · « **Reply #8 on:** September 24, 2008, 08:28:03 AM »

I don't see Replicate coming back, there's not a SINGLE replicate spell on the set yet. I, for one, would like to see them bring back Tarmogoyf.

Elf_Lvr · « **Reply #9 on:** September 27, 2008, 09:09:39 PM »

Went to the Shards Pre-Re. Spent about 10 hours there doing 2 drafts. Unfortunately, I didn't place in either of them.

Exalted is broken. Broken and amazing. People who didn't run Exalted got beat. Hard.

Naya is also a really great shard. Naya Charms won me quite a few games.

Esper seemed fairly good, if slow.

Jund didn't seem to get played much, although some guy got TWO of the Dragon-Walkers.

Grixis... might be better than you give it credit for. Damnation (or some similar mass-kill spell) with a bunch of Unearth guys can spell a pretty massive win.

Bant.... well, see previous comment about exalted.

That's just my impression from what I saw being played. I'm definately enjoying the two pre-re Ajani Vengeant I managed to get ahold of.

SomeRandomDude · « **Reply #10 on:** September 28, 2008, 11:05:46 AM »

Quote from: Elf_Lvr on September 27, 2008, 09:09:39 PM

Went to the Shards Pre-Re. Spent about 10 hours there doing 2 drafts. Unfortunately, I didn't place in either of them.

Exalted is broken. Broken and amazing. People who didn't run Exalted got beat. Hard.

I found that out went I built a Bant deck. Not quite so powerful in Constructed, though.

Naya is also a really great shard. Naya Charms won me quite a few games.

Naya pwns in limited.

Esper seemed fairly good, if slow.

Eh...better in constructed.

Jund didn't seem to get played much, although some guy got TWO of the Dragon-Walkers.

Okay, I play limited Jund, and it ROCKS! Seriously, massive awesomeness.[/b

Grixis... might be better than you give it credit for. Damnation (or some similar mass-kill spell) with a bunch of Unearth guys can spell a pretty massive win.

Unearth is cool, I guess a Jund/Grixis deck with the Jund Charm board wiper you can unearth a horde, but I still thin its the weakest of the shards.

Bant.... well, see previous comment about exalted.

That's just my impression from what I saw being played. I'm definately enjoying the two pre-re Ajani Vengeant I managed to get ahold of.

TWO Ajani Vengeant? The Mythic Rare? DUDE!

FM · « **Reply #11 on:** September 28, 2008, 06:07:18 PM »

Well, and to think we don't even HAVE Pre-Releases here anywmore... Stupid monopoly (there's a single company that translates Magic here, and since tournaments like that have to be played in national language, you see where it leads...)

Elf_Lvr · « **Reply #12 on:** September 28, 2008, 06:15:18 PM »

Well, you got a FOIL Ajani just for coming to the Pre-Re.

SomeRandomDude · « **Reply #13 on:** September 28, 2008, 09:25:09 PM »

I want your FOIL Ajani...bad.

Thranduil · « **Reply #14 on:** October 16, 2008, 05:02:50 AM »

I went to both the pre-release and the release of Shards so I now have 2 foil Ajanis (hehehe!)...

I'm trying to get into the game a little bit and built a tentative Naya deck and also a Jund deck because I pulled the Godsire at the pre-release and the Jund legendary creature (can't remember his name at the moment) at the release. I also got 2 Goblin Assault and had several awesome games where I had it in my starting hand, played it on turn 3 and won from the free goblins! Ah that's a funny card. Sarkhan Vol, though, is just insane! And Crucible of Fire is just complete overkill, especially with Sarkhan - let's have 5 7/7 flyers!

I haven't got any good Bant cards as yet apart from a whole load of charms and mana-fixing and the Rhox War Monk who is awesome. The best Grixis card I got was the Specter - the one which makes players discard cards when dealing damage to them. Oh and also the Leviathan which returns everything else to hand. :hey:

All in all, it's a fun set and I like the background.

Thranduil

SomeRandomDude · « **Reply #15 on:** October 16, 2008, 10:16:17 AM »

Crucible really does rock in Changeling decks. But how did you make it work in limited?

I just can't see it working.

Goblin Assault is awesome. Run 4 copies + Mycoloth! Spew out massive tokens to drop....TORRENT OF SOULS! Or Sarkhan...

Thranduil · « **Reply #16 on:** October 16, 2008, 11:08:15 AM »

Quote from: NBarden on October 16, 2008, 10:16:17 AM

Crucible really does rock in Changeling decks. But how did you make it work in limited? I just can't see it working.

I didn't use it! I got it, then didn't put it in any decks!

Thranduil

SomeRandomDude · « **Reply #17 on:** October 16, 2008, 11:41:32 AM »

That's a good idea. Because it only rocks when mixed with Lorwyn and Shadowmoor cards. Try this.

Ancient Amphitheater
Auntie's Hovel
Gilt-Leaf Palace
Secluded Glen
Wanderwine Hub
Primal Beyond
Murmuring Bosk

Now add this.

CHANGELINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (they all untap)
REFLECTING POOL!

Crucible of Fire! Scarblade Elite! Reaper King! Crib Swaps, Inversions, the whole 9 yards!

Now how about this changeling?

Chameleon Colossus + Crucible = 7/7 + 4 mana ability = 14/14 crusher!
not to mention 1-drop Mothdust Changeling beating 4/4. 2 Crucible = 1 smash from Colossus and its game.

Sweet, eh?

Or just run weenies with Mirror Entity...those Goblin Assault tokens? Yeah, 1 mana and they all turn into 4/4 giants. Literally giants, actually, but never mind that. 'Cuz they're also susceptible to Goatnappers.

Got some spare mana? How about 4 mana for an army of 7/7 beaters?

Yeah, have fun with them changelings there.

Elf_Lvr · « **Reply #18 on:** October 16, 2008, 04:30:59 PM »

I'm really starting to like Grixis, actually. Kederekt Leviathan + Unearth Swarm, anyone?

FM · « **Reply #19 on:** October 16, 2008, 09:58:19 PM »

I still think Bant has got it better, right now. That is, to talk Shards, of course, otherwise monowhite Kithkin and UB Faeries still rock. UW Reveillark is also still good enough, I think, even losing the "combo" status. And OF COURSE Quick'N'Toast is still awesome, it basically loses NOTHING.

SomeRandomDude · « **Reply #20 on:** October 17, 2008, 08:32:18 AM »

I've seen affinity-like artifact decks smash face. Gosh, the Sanctum Gargoyles + Etherium Sculptors = when they're in the graveyard, combo out a chain of crits for cheap. Not to mention that if you've got the mana, you can pull off the Gargoyle/Sharuum/Sharding Sphinx combo from the graveyard. With a pair of sculptors, you only need 6 mana to do it! Which is pretty sweet considering the Obelisk/Etherium Sculptor acceleration combo. I mean, its warped, but blue based heavy aggro? SWEET!