Hello Everyone!
Just 2 hours ago, the newest announcement of future release came up on DailyMTG, and it is..... (drum roll please) From the Vault: Lands! They do get a little cooler with it and call it FTV: Realms, but yeah - lands. This has actually been a very anticipated release, it was just a matter of time. Lands are not very exciting at first glance; they don't have the wow factor of Dragons, or the build-around-me factor of Doran among other legends, but they are the most important part of the game.
Naturally, we shall now play the "what do I think is most likely to be in the package?" game. One thing of note about this release is that normally the FTV sets have a mythic from the next set, but this one does not exclusively mention that it would. Combining that with the fact there has only ever been 1 mythic rare land leads me to believe there will be no future-printed cards in this FTV.
If we were to go on gatherer and list the 15 most highly rated lands by players that aren't on the reserved list, our 15 cards would be (in order of highest rating to lowest):
Kor Haven
Celestial Colonnade
Rishaden Port
Blood Crypt
Cabal Coffers
Maze of Ith
Temple Garden
Sunken Ruin
Glimmervoid
Creeping Tar Pit
Reflecting Pool
Kher Keep
Shizo, Death's Storehouse
Karakas
Vault of the Archangel
Now this list has several good cards in it, in fact it has a few I will put on my real list, but there are tons of cards I know will not make it. I think to make this product buyable all of the lands need to actually do something cool. Therefor, Shock lands and Filter lands probably aren't going to make the cut. Both are in 10 card cycles, and thus would be awkward to include just 1 of, but both just do 1 thing - make mana. Compare those to something like Kor Haven, and you can see which card is more exciting to look at. Another case is that WotC isn't going to have a ton of high-value cards in any one of these releases. FTV: Dragons didn't have any card of significant value in it, though Niv-Mizzet and Kokusho are each Hamiltons, but FTV: Exiled had Berserk and FTV: Relics had Mox Diamond. Clearly WotC wants to put in chase cards, but they don't want more than 1 or 2, which is going to make this list a little tricky to put together.
Knowing there can only be so much value in this release, let's look at some of the high value cards that people are hoping to see reprinted:
Wasteland $45
Karakas $57
Mutavault $33
Rishadian Port $30
Maze of Ith $37
Unfortunately for us, I think only 1 of these cards will be in the set to maintain the raw value of the release, and my pick is Wasteland. Karakas should have been printed in FTV: Legends, but they wanted to pour out 15 commanders. Wasteland is such a staple card to Magic, and one of the most relevant lands throughout the history of the game besides basic island even through today. Karakas will have it's day sometime later (which sucks because I need one), Mutavault has Mishra's Factory (a shoe-in), and it's just better than Rishadian Port at stifling manabases. Maze of Ith made get "printed" in FTV: Realms via Mystifying Maze, but I doubt it.
It's important to mention that the art released with the announcement is very obviously Glacial Chasm, with the only competition being Thawing Glaciers, but Thawing Glaciers is on the reserved list (a lot of things are on the reserved list, even Granite Gargoyle and Barreling Attack). Some other cards i believe will be printed are Reliquary Tower because everyone loves it, especially considering its current $4 tag, along with Boseju, Who Shelters All, and Ancient Tomb. This starts the list off with:
Wasteland
Mishra's Factory
Glacial Chasm
Reliquary Tower
Boseju, Who Shelters All
Ancient Tomb
6 colorless lands. There should be at least 1 land that produces each type of colored mana, so maybe we could see the following:
W - Emeria, the Sky Ruin
U - Tolaria West
B - Cabal Coffers
R - Barbarian Ring
G - Pendelhaven
This leaves us with 4 slots, which could be any of these cards:
City of Brass
Command Tower
Vesuva
Dark Depths
Gemstone Caverns
Petrified Field
Tower of the Magistrate
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
Volrath's Stronghold
Academy Ruins
If i had to write up an exact list right now, this would be what I would guess for the whole 15:
Wasteland
Mishra's Factory
Glacial Chasm
Reliquary Tower
Boseju, Who Shelters All
Ancient Tomb
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Tolaria West
Cabal Coffers
Barbarian Ring
Pendelhaven
City of Brass
Vesuva
Petrified Field
Academy Ruins
This is actually a very exciting list of cards, and I would look forward to this release if it were printed as I listed it. If I learned anything while making this list, it is that lands are far more diverse and exciting than I had previously considered! I feel while lands may not seem exciting when you say From the Vault: Lands, they are actually much more awesome than we anticipated!
That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Pack to Moat, week 4
Hello everyone!
This week was another successful one for trading, although I can start to sense the trading is drying up around Toys because I have done every trade there for the past month... Going into this week, I realized I have a ton of Wolf Run cards and frankly not too much for any other deck, so I made a point to not corner myself any more into that archetype because nothing in the binder is worth anything without a buyer.
February 24, 2012
My:
Mayor of Avabruck (3.21)
His:
Heartless Summoning (2.47)
Skirsdag High Priest (1.26)
Net: +0.52
Mayor has never seen play in any top-tier decks, but Heartless and Skirsdag have been seeing play in decks that have been doing well on the SCG circuit. I didn't gain much in terms of direct value, but I hope I have some material that will be desirable for someone down the road.
My:
Gavony Ironwright (0.15)
Highborn Ghoul (0.11)
Wakedancer (0.15)
FOIL Chill of Foreboding (0.60)
Hollowhenge Spirit (0.15)
His:
Birds of Paradise (3.23)
Net: +2.07
Me: "This first page is everything left from my original pack, and these next two pages are everything I have traded for." Him: "Pull out a 2 or 3 from my binder, I want your whole front page!" I can work with that!
My:
Birds of Parasdise (3.23)
His:
Cemetery Reaper (3.7)
Net: +0.47
This trade may have been a mistake because Cemetery Reaper hasn't actually been seeing a lot of play in the Zombies decks recently, but Birds is another ramp card, which I am trying to keep myself away from for now until I can thin out that section of the binder.
February 26, 2012
My:
Birthing Pod (4.49)
Stoneforge Mystic (7.09)
His:
Sensei's Divining Top (12.48)
Brainstorm (1.63)
Net: +2.53
This was a very exciting trade for me! Sensei's Divining Top is my first $10+ card to go into the binder, which is a miniature milestone for this project, and it is an absolute staple in Legacy. I had the option to chose between a Top and an Enlightened Tutor, but I chose Top because I felt it would be slightly more tradable.
My:
Sensei's Divining Top (12.48)
His:
4x Bloodbraid Elf (2.53, 10.12)
Cabal Therapy (5.87)
Ichorid (7.81)
Net: +11.32
This was the giant trade of the week, and a testament to how important it is to have positive relationships with everyone you interact with. My trade partner for this one hasn't been around the store in a month or two, but came back to play legacy for the day. I proposed the above trade, but with only one Bloodbraid. He just chuckled, tossed the other 3 in, and said he wanted to see me get the Moat. It's trades like these that make this project possible.
5 trades
Week 4 Net: +16.91
Recently I have been getting some card requests from some people, so I can trade for certain cards with confidence. I even got a trader lined up for a few pieces of Wolf Run, so I will be able to move some Copperlines I have been sitting on for a while (though they have gained 2.5 a piece since I acquired them). I also have an outlet for Dredge cards, which is great for the Ichorid and Cabal Therapy, and I have an incentive to trade for other cards, even commons and uncommons. As always, if anyone is willing to assist in my trail to the Moat, feel free to contact me and we will work something out!
That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
Recently I have been getting some card requests from some people, so I can trade for certain cards with confidence. I even got a trader lined up for a few pieces of Wolf Run, so I will be able to move some Copperlines I have been sitting on for a while (though they have gained 2.5 a piece since I acquired them). I also have an outlet for Dredge cards, which is great for the Ichorid and Cabal Therapy, and I have an incentive to trade for other cards, even commons and uncommons. As always, if anyone is willing to assist in my trail to the Moat, feel free to contact me and we will work something out!
That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Breaking the Enabler
Hello everyone! In Standard recently, I have been playing a tribal Werewolves midrange deck that establishes control with Daybreak Ranger before dealing 30+ damage in one turn with a Moonmist flipping over a Mayor of Avabruck, an Instigator Gang, and any dude for a surprise victory. The deck is still getting tweaked and tuned, but that’s not the centerpiece of today’s topic, merely it inspired something I have only recently been putting a lot of thought into.
Magic is awesome, we all know that, but the reason it is awesome is because every single card is unique. Playing blackjack is fun for a little bit, but you’re playing the same game endlessly trying to claw out a few dollars. On the other hand, whenever you look at a Magic board the cards in play could be of completely different value than in the very next game based on how they interact with everything else.
Where am I going with all this? Why is it important to also mention that I played against 3 Tempered Steel decks in 5 rounds this last FNM? Well having 3 Ancient Grudge in my sideboard helped me out a lot, but I had to ask myself, isn’t Naturalize just better?
Conventional card advantage would scream NO! After all, Tempered Steel is an ARTIFACT deck, so Ancient Grudge is a very simple 2-for-1 that puts us far ahead. However, what if we looked at this deck from a different angle? Instead of looking at it as an artifact aggro deck, consider it an artifact combo deck. Without the card Tempered Steel itself, the deck doesn’t do much. Games with Steel are completely different from games without. Have you ever heard that before? Maybe with cards like Goblin Guide and Birthing Pod?
Once we decide that Tempered Steel is a combo deck, we see why Naturalize is probably better than Ancient Grudge. If we grudge away all of their creatures, the deck is loaded with outs: 0 mana Wild Nacatls, 1 mana mini-Baneslayers, 2 mana wrath-proof Air Elementals, lands that kill in 3 turns, etc. If we Naturalize their Tempered Steel, then they are back to playing cards for what they paid for (hint: if you pay 0-1 mana for a creature, don’t expect to actually kill your opponent with it).
This was my starting point of thinking about analyzing decks from a new angle: enablers and action. The most extreme example of this I could think of was Necro-Donate aka Trix. In case you don’t know about this deck, it is a very old combo deck that would use Necropotence as a draw engine and you would cast Donate on your Illusions of Grandeur and soon your opponent would not be able to pay the cumulative upkeep cost and they would die. The most important card of this deck was not Illusions of Grandeur or Donate, but rather Necropotence. With Necropotence, you would be able to get so far ahead of your opponent that you can force through the combo without worry of your opponent having answers because you always have more.
Bringing things back to standard, another deck that has many combo elements to it is Wolf Run Ramp. The traditional problem with Ramp decks is they have a series of cards that need to be cast in the proper order or else things don’t go too well for them - play some Rampant Growths or Spheres, then follow it up with Titans and other fatties until they die. Back in the days of Psychatog, players would counter each other’s draw spells to prevent the other from gaining enough cards advantage to close out the game. In the same way, countering the ramp spells goes a long way towards breaking up the combo deck that is Wolf Run Ramp.
Here’s one last example, but this is from a completely different angle. My sideboard plan when I’m playing white against storm in Legacy: Stony Silence. Wait, what? Yes, Stony Silence actually tears a huge hole into the side of Storm’s plan. All of a sudden the deck can no longer reliably cast Infernal Tutor, and casting Ad Nauseam becomes very risky as the number of cards they can get went from 12-16 (Lotus Petal, Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual, Chrome Mox) to less than 8 because a few were probably used in the casting of the Ad Nauseam. I could go into Legacy side boarding in more detail, but Stony Silence is awesome against storm because it is also awesome against other decks like Affinity, so it is very flexible to combat Legacy’s very diverse metagame.
What started out as a thought regarding my Tempered Steel matchup with my Werewolves deck transformed into a new way of thinking about side boarding and how decks function from the ground up. By looking at decks through the lens of identifying and tactfully neutralizing the enablers in a deck, it’s amazing to see how quickly seemingly horrific or complicated matchups turn around!
That’s all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
Magic is awesome, we all know that, but the reason it is awesome is because every single card is unique. Playing blackjack is fun for a little bit, but you’re playing the same game endlessly trying to claw out a few dollars. On the other hand, whenever you look at a Magic board the cards in play could be of completely different value than in the very next game based on how they interact with everything else.
Where am I going with all this? Why is it important to also mention that I played against 3 Tempered Steel decks in 5 rounds this last FNM? Well having 3 Ancient Grudge in my sideboard helped me out a lot, but I had to ask myself, isn’t Naturalize just better?
Conventional card advantage would scream NO! After all, Tempered Steel is an ARTIFACT deck, so Ancient Grudge is a very simple 2-for-1 that puts us far ahead. However, what if we looked at this deck from a different angle? Instead of looking at it as an artifact aggro deck, consider it an artifact combo deck. Without the card Tempered Steel itself, the deck doesn’t do much. Games with Steel are completely different from games without. Have you ever heard that before? Maybe with cards like Goblin Guide and Birthing Pod?
Once we decide that Tempered Steel is a combo deck, we see why Naturalize is probably better than Ancient Grudge. If we grudge away all of their creatures, the deck is loaded with outs: 0 mana Wild Nacatls, 1 mana mini-Baneslayers, 2 mana wrath-proof Air Elementals, lands that kill in 3 turns, etc. If we Naturalize their Tempered Steel, then they are back to playing cards for what they paid for (hint: if you pay 0-1 mana for a creature, don’t expect to actually kill your opponent with it).
This was my starting point of thinking about analyzing decks from a new angle: enablers and action. The most extreme example of this I could think of was Necro-Donate aka Trix. In case you don’t know about this deck, it is a very old combo deck that would use Necropotence as a draw engine and you would cast Donate on your Illusions of Grandeur and soon your opponent would not be able to pay the cumulative upkeep cost and they would die. The most important card of this deck was not Illusions of Grandeur or Donate, but rather Necropotence. With Necropotence, you would be able to get so far ahead of your opponent that you can force through the combo without worry of your opponent having answers because you always have more.
Bringing things back to standard, another deck that has many combo elements to it is Wolf Run Ramp. The traditional problem with Ramp decks is they have a series of cards that need to be cast in the proper order or else things don’t go too well for them - play some Rampant Growths or Spheres, then follow it up with Titans and other fatties until they die. Back in the days of Psychatog, players would counter each other’s draw spells to prevent the other from gaining enough cards advantage to close out the game. In the same way, countering the ramp spells goes a long way towards breaking up the combo deck that is Wolf Run Ramp.
Here’s one last example, but this is from a completely different angle. My sideboard plan when I’m playing white against storm in Legacy: Stony Silence. Wait, what? Yes, Stony Silence actually tears a huge hole into the side of Storm’s plan. All of a sudden the deck can no longer reliably cast Infernal Tutor, and casting Ad Nauseam becomes very risky as the number of cards they can get went from 12-16 (Lotus Petal, Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual, Chrome Mox) to less than 8 because a few were probably used in the casting of the Ad Nauseam. I could go into Legacy side boarding in more detail, but Stony Silence is awesome against storm because it is also awesome against other decks like Affinity, so it is very flexible to combat Legacy’s very diverse metagame.
What started out as a thought regarding my Tempered Steel matchup with my Werewolves deck transformed into a new way of thinking about side boarding and how decks function from the ground up. By looking at decks through the lens of identifying and tactfully neutralizing the enablers in a deck, it’s amazing to see how quickly seemingly horrific or complicated matchups turn around!
That’s all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Would You Like me to Kill You in a More Humane Manner?
Hello Everyone!
In drafting with Dark Ascension, there is one card that has consistently been an all-star for me! That card is Avacyn's Collar. It may be because I also had Gather the Townsfolk and Increasing Devotion in my deck, along with some counterspells, but my opponent was quickly cold turkey to my infinite 2/1 build your own Doomed Travelers that also made good blockers. I had to ask, why not play this card in standard?
UW is clearly the color of the Spirits, so that made me think about the intentional Human colors: GW. The major problem with the GW decks is that they're just a pile of dudes that have no resiliency to a Slagstorm effect. Clearly having Avacyn's Collar would quickly change that as we can fearlessly play out a Mirran Crusader or Hero of Bladehold knowing that even if it dies, we still get something to work with next turn. That combined with the Gavony Township which already makes every threat a must kill, this deck can blow you out if you're not ready.
Here's my initial thought for a list:
4x Chmpion of the Parish
4x Wolfbitten Captive
2x Elite Vanguard
4x Loyal Cathar
4x Hamlet Captain
4x Mayor of Avabruck
4x Mirran Crusader
2x Fiend Hunter
3x Oblivion Ring
2x Avacyn's Collar
2x Sword of War and Peace
4x Gather the Townsfolk
4x Razorverge Thicket
4x Sunpetal Grove
3x Gavony Township
6x Plains
4x Forest
This deck is VERY fast. Your 1 drops should be hitting for 2 or 3 on turn 2, and the rest of the deck piles on the pressure. It might just be wrong to not play Hero of Bladehold or Geist-Honored Monk or Increasing Devotion in this deck, but I think with the current build a ton of quick pressure that will put any deck on its back heel from turn 1. Just 21 lands means we have a ton of gas. A sweet addition to this deck is Wolfbitten Captive, which often transforms on turn 1 if on the play, and even though it's not a human, a 1 mana 2/2 that is randomly a 6/6 never hurts. Loyal Cathar also does work as resiliance to wrath as it can be suited right up with a sword or collar and get back into the red zone.
Now that Zombies is seeing play, I wonder if Elite Inquisitor may ever be a good card? Also, Deranged Outcast is good vs spot removal, but is still poor to sweepers (although it can save 1 dude from a slagstorm/whipflare, which is relevent and might be enough to make it worth playing).
I wonder if the major problem with this deck going forwards is the Wolf Run matchup. Honestly, I just don't know how to deal with that matchup It might be that aggression can just outrace them, with a timely O-ring on their fatty, but maybe I'm just paranoid of their slagstorms and whipflares.
We already knew humans had the capability of killing very fast, and now they have the resiliance that was much required before, so maybe we have a new deck up our sleeves? I think I will have to give it a try! That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
In drafting with Dark Ascension, there is one card that has consistently been an all-star for me! That card is Avacyn's Collar. It may be because I also had Gather the Townsfolk and Increasing Devotion in my deck, along with some counterspells, but my opponent was quickly cold turkey to my infinite 2/1 build your own Doomed Travelers that also made good blockers. I had to ask, why not play this card in standard?
UW is clearly the color of the Spirits, so that made me think about the intentional Human colors: GW. The major problem with the GW decks is that they're just a pile of dudes that have no resiliency to a Slagstorm effect. Clearly having Avacyn's Collar would quickly change that as we can fearlessly play out a Mirran Crusader or Hero of Bladehold knowing that even if it dies, we still get something to work with next turn. That combined with the Gavony Township which already makes every threat a must kill, this deck can blow you out if you're not ready.
Here's my initial thought for a list:
4x Chmpion of the Parish
4x Wolfbitten Captive
2x Elite Vanguard
4x Loyal Cathar
4x Hamlet Captain
4x Mayor of Avabruck
4x Mirran Crusader
2x Fiend Hunter
3x Oblivion Ring
2x Avacyn's Collar
2x Sword of War and Peace
4x Gather the Townsfolk
4x Razorverge Thicket
4x Sunpetal Grove
3x Gavony Township
6x Plains
4x Forest
This deck is VERY fast. Your 1 drops should be hitting for 2 or 3 on turn 2, and the rest of the deck piles on the pressure. It might just be wrong to not play Hero of Bladehold or Geist-Honored Monk or Increasing Devotion in this deck, but I think with the current build a ton of quick pressure that will put any deck on its back heel from turn 1. Just 21 lands means we have a ton of gas. A sweet addition to this deck is Wolfbitten Captive, which often transforms on turn 1 if on the play, and even though it's not a human, a 1 mana 2/2 that is randomly a 6/6 never hurts. Loyal Cathar also does work as resiliance to wrath as it can be suited right up with a sword or collar and get back into the red zone.
Now that Zombies is seeing play, I wonder if Elite Inquisitor may ever be a good card? Also, Deranged Outcast is good vs spot removal, but is still poor to sweepers (although it can save 1 dude from a slagstorm/whipflare, which is relevent and might be enough to make it worth playing).
I wonder if the major problem with this deck going forwards is the Wolf Run matchup. Honestly, I just don't know how to deal with that matchup It might be that aggression can just outrace them, with a timely O-ring on their fatty, but maybe I'm just paranoid of their slagstorms and whipflares.
We already knew humans had the capability of killing very fast, and now they have the resiliance that was much required before, so maybe we have a new deck up our sleeves? I think I will have to give it a try! That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
Monday, February 20, 2012
Pack to Moat, week 3
Hello Everyone!
I was able to get a pretty good amount of trading in this week between Wednesday night Magic and FNM. This project is moving at a fairly quick pace, and I actually feel like I will get pretty far. A lot of people at toys have been saying I'm wasting my time because they weren't able to get there themselves, but I think I am doing fairly well systematically... Anyways, of to the trades!
February 15th, 2012
My:
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (4.49)
His:
Clifftop Retreat (2.75)
2x Rootbound Crag (3.1, 6.2)
Net: +4.46
I decided today that I was going to build a base of dual lands. Previously I traded for an Isolated Chapel, and I couldn't even put it in the sleeve of my binder it went that quickly. Now there is obviously a hierarchy of dual lands, but all of them are in some demand, so I should be able to move them easily.
My:
Rootbound Crag (3.1)
His:
Stoneforge Mystic (7.35)
Net: +4.25
He said he really didn't want his Stoneforge anymore because he doesn't play legacy, and he valued it at 5. Getting into the Legacy market is huge for this project as it opens you up to a lot more potential trade partners, and Stoneblade is T1 right now.
My:
Olivia Voldaren (8.48)
Ghoultree (1)
His:
2x Copperline Gorge (7.01, 14.02)
Net: +4.54
This is how the conversation started with this guy who watched others help me along: "Hey, whats your most valuable card in there?" I can work with that attitude, especially when it turns out acquiring that Olivia was a mistake. Remember, just because it's valuable does not mean it's liquid (Seachrome Coast). Copperline Gorge, on the other hand, should be too easy to move as it was the fireball deck, got 1st and 2nd at the PT, and is also in the Frites deck that just won our WNM. Their value has gone up a whole dollar (at the time of writing - Thursday) since yesterday, which is a very quick ascension.
My:
Curse of Misfortunes (0.40)
Executioner's Hood (0.09)
Secrets of the Dead (0.21)
His:
Helvault (1.22)
FOIL Headless Skaab (0.35)
Ravenous Demon (0.49)
Net: +1.36
This is one of those trades where Andrew wanted to get rid of his bulk, but make me do work at the same time, haha. These aren't really serious trades, but hey! Profit is profit, and the pack to Moat is all about the grind.
February 17th
My:
Birthing Pod (4.62)
His:
Geralf's Messenger (5.7)
Net: +1.08
I was very eager to pick up a Geralf's Messenger because I knew it would be a very popular card. I know I didn't gain much value, but I wanted to diversify here. Having 1 Geralf's Messenger and 1 Birthing Pod felt better to me than just having 2 Birthing Pods
My:
Geralf's Messenger (5.7)
His:
2x Slagstorm (4.51, 9.02)
Net: +3.32
And look! As soon as I got the Messenger I had an offer on the table for it! Slagstorm is the premium sweeper right now being playing in Wolf Run, Chapin Control (from worlds), and Big Red.
My:
2x Slagstorm (4.51, 9.02)
His:
2x Inferno Titan (4.79, 9.58)
Net: +0.56
This was an awkward trade because the only thing he had were 3 Inferno Titans and a Cemetery Reaper, and the only thing he wanted were Slagstorms.... Regardless Inferno Titan is played in Wolf Run and in Frites, so they should be moveable.
My:
Honor of the Pure (2.11)
His:
Mayor of Avabruck (3.16)
Net: +1.05
This trade I'm not sure if is actually good for me or not. While Mayor may be worth more, it's not really likely to move all too quickly. With any luck someone will be looking to build a casual Werewolves deck, at which point Mayor is very important.
8 trades
Week 3 Net: +20.62
FNM was a little disappointing for me, and frankly by this point I'm not surprised. All of the trades over the past 3 weeks have all been within the 4 walls of Toys N Things and there is an established community there. While I have done multiple trades with 2 or 3 people, by this point I have already passed the binder off to almost everyone in the store. Therefor, next week I will be most likely going to a different store for FNM to access fresh binders to help accelerate this project. I will also be keeper a more keen eye out for local 1Ks and other various special events to help ramp up the binder. SCG Providence is in 2.5 months, so I expect by that weekend I will be able to present the binder to Matt for the Moat.
That's all I have for today! Once again, if you want to do an online trade (mail cards to each other) I would love the help! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
I was able to get a pretty good amount of trading in this week between Wednesday night Magic and FNM. This project is moving at a fairly quick pace, and I actually feel like I will get pretty far. A lot of people at toys have been saying I'm wasting my time because they weren't able to get there themselves, but I think I am doing fairly well systematically... Anyways, of to the trades!
February 15th, 2012
My:
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (4.49)
His:
Clifftop Retreat (2.75)
2x Rootbound Crag (3.1, 6.2)
Net: +4.46
I decided today that I was going to build a base of dual lands. Previously I traded for an Isolated Chapel, and I couldn't even put it in the sleeve of my binder it went that quickly. Now there is obviously a hierarchy of dual lands, but all of them are in some demand, so I should be able to move them easily.
My:
Rootbound Crag (3.1)
His:
Stoneforge Mystic (7.35)
Net: +4.25
He said he really didn't want his Stoneforge anymore because he doesn't play legacy, and he valued it at 5. Getting into the Legacy market is huge for this project as it opens you up to a lot more potential trade partners, and Stoneblade is T1 right now.
My:
Olivia Voldaren (8.48)
Ghoultree (1)
His:
2x Copperline Gorge (7.01, 14.02)
Net: +4.54
This is how the conversation started with this guy who watched others help me along: "Hey, whats your most valuable card in there?" I can work with that attitude, especially when it turns out acquiring that Olivia was a mistake. Remember, just because it's valuable does not mean it's liquid (Seachrome Coast). Copperline Gorge, on the other hand, should be too easy to move as it was the fireball deck, got 1st and 2nd at the PT, and is also in the Frites deck that just won our WNM. Their value has gone up a whole dollar (at the time of writing - Thursday) since yesterday, which is a very quick ascension.
My:
Curse of Misfortunes (0.40)
Executioner's Hood (0.09)
Secrets of the Dead (0.21)
His:
Helvault (1.22)
FOIL Headless Skaab (0.35)
Ravenous Demon (0.49)
Net: +1.36
This is one of those trades where Andrew wanted to get rid of his bulk, but make me do work at the same time, haha. These aren't really serious trades, but hey! Profit is profit, and the pack to Moat is all about the grind.
February 17th
My:
Birthing Pod (4.62)
His:
Geralf's Messenger (5.7)
Net: +1.08
I was very eager to pick up a Geralf's Messenger because I knew it would be a very popular card. I know I didn't gain much value, but I wanted to diversify here. Having 1 Geralf's Messenger and 1 Birthing Pod felt better to me than just having 2 Birthing Pods
My:
Geralf's Messenger (5.7)
His:
2x Slagstorm (4.51, 9.02)
Net: +3.32
And look! As soon as I got the Messenger I had an offer on the table for it! Slagstorm is the premium sweeper right now being playing in Wolf Run, Chapin Control (from worlds), and Big Red.
My:
2x Slagstorm (4.51, 9.02)
His:
2x Inferno Titan (4.79, 9.58)
Net: +0.56
This was an awkward trade because the only thing he had were 3 Inferno Titans and a Cemetery Reaper, and the only thing he wanted were Slagstorms.... Regardless Inferno Titan is played in Wolf Run and in Frites, so they should be moveable.
My:
Honor of the Pure (2.11)
His:
Mayor of Avabruck (3.16)
Net: +1.05
This trade I'm not sure if is actually good for me or not. While Mayor may be worth more, it's not really likely to move all too quickly. With any luck someone will be looking to build a casual Werewolves deck, at which point Mayor is very important.
8 trades
Week 3 Net: +20.62
FNM was a little disappointing for me, and frankly by this point I'm not surprised. All of the trades over the past 3 weeks have all been within the 4 walls of Toys N Things and there is an established community there. While I have done multiple trades with 2 or 3 people, by this point I have already passed the binder off to almost everyone in the store. Therefor, next week I will be most likely going to a different store for FNM to access fresh binders to help accelerate this project. I will also be keeper a more keen eye out for local 1Ks and other various special events to help ramp up the binder. SCG Providence is in 2.5 months, so I expect by that weekend I will be able to present the binder to Matt for the Moat.
That's all I have for today! Once again, if you want to do an online trade (mail cards to each other) I would love the help! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
PT Dark Ascension!
This just in! Man wins Pro Tour of game he invented! Wait... I read that wrong... Brian Kibler, who invented the game Ascension, just won Pro Tour Dark Ascension.
There were a ton of amazing things to talk about regarding the Pro Tour, I don't even know where to start!
How about the cool new feature added by Wizards on facebook: the fantasy pro tour. This feature was advertised very heavily a few weeks ago on basically every platform WotC had to reach people. I was a little confused as to how it worked, and as such my roster kind of sucked:
Planeswalker: Garruk Relentless (90 points)
Large Creature: Havengul Lich (3 points)
Medium Creature: Dungrove Elder (36 points)
Small Creature: Delver of Secrets (324 points)
Instant: Mana Leak (316 points)
Sorcery: Timely Reinforcements (130 points)
Enchantment: Intangible Virtue (16 points)
Artifact: Ratchet Bomb (214 points)
Non-basic Land: Evolving Wilds (52 points)
Tiebreaker: PV
Total: 1181 points
Compare this to the best score possible:
Planeswalker: Garruk, Primal Hunter (120 points)
Large Creature: Primeval Titan (138 points)
Medium Creature: Geist of Saint Traft (309 points)
Small Creature: Snapcaster Mage (354 points)
Instant: Mana Leak (316 points)
Sorcery: Ponder (224 points)
Enchantment: Oblivion Ring (162 points)
Artifact: Sword of War and Peace (258 points)
Non-basic Land: Seachrome Coast (350 points)
Tiebreaker: Brian Kibler
Total Score: 2231 points
A grand total of 11 people in the world got the exact perfect roster (though no one had Kibler in their tie breakers). Obviously I had some serious flops (Havengul Lich *cough cough*), and that was because for some reason I was in the vegas mindset where there underdog winning is worth more than the obvious answer. That being said, I think the future pro tours should be much easier to harvest points (gamers - we're always digging for ways to get more points, no matter the competition). This was all well and good, even despite the argument I had with my LGS owner about how the popularity of magic cased this to be created and not vice versa, but this was hardly the tip of the iceberg!
Pro Tour Dark Ascension also had something that's not exactly new, but is still awesome, which was live streaming all weekend. SCG has been doing this for a while now, and WotC has been streaming the top 8 for years, but now we have 3 days of straight magic coverage of all the best players in the world! This would be awesome if it weren't for how much I can't stand Rich Hagon. It's not his voice - British people tend to have a very cool sounding voice - but it's just that he either is or pretends to be one of the dumbest people when it comes to magic strategy. He never offers any insight on anything, and over explains basic cards and interactions like "Snapcaster Mage can allow him to cast a mana leak from his graveyard" WOW! You don't say??!!??!!
As Matteo Orsini Jones explained on Blackborder.com which updates less often than I do despite having at least 6 more writers, having constant streaming coverage is cool and all, but we really need to get a useful player in the booth and better camera angles.This is absolutely a good thing to have the streaming, but SCG has already made leaps and bounds for great coverage, so the path has already been forged for WotC to follow.
Even though there was a lot to be desired in the coverage, the games made up for that, along with the insane top 8 we had! To no one's surprise, we had 3 ChanelFireball team members make the top 8 despite LSV saying it was one of the worst decks the team has ever brought to the event. Personally I disagree, though I think this comes from Luis being bitter about going 1-x for 429th place! The fireball deck, by the way, was GR wolf run playing 4x Huntmaster of the Fells, although Lucas Blohan branched off and played a Pod deck (although it also ran 4x Huntmaster).
Brian Kibler's semi-finals vs Finkel was simply incredible (spoiler: triple galvanic blast with metalcraft is kinda good), and while the finals weren't long or dramatic, it was still great to see a hall of famer play against a future hall of famer (PV becomes eligible next year).
Overall, Pro Tour Dark Ascension was epic, and I am very excited to see what happens with Pro Tour Avacyn Restored! That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Pack to Moat, week 2
Hello everybody!
I haven't been able to get out to the store much this past week, but I was able to get 4 trades deeper into this project!
February 8th:
My:
Timely Reinforcements (1.88)
His:
Daybreak Ranger (1.77)
Ghoultree (1.02)
Net: +0.91
I was trying to turn as much as I could into rares, and while neither of these cards are making waves, both are playable and have their own niches.
February 10th:
My:
Blade Splicer (3.88)
His:
Isolated Chapel (8.2)
Net: +4.32
This was a VERY good individual trade for me, and as soon as people heard I had the isolated chapel, I had another offer on the table for it. This is my first dual land of the project, and it's amazing how liquid a popular dual land is!
My:
Daybreak Ranger (1.77)
His:
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (4.68)
Net: +2.91
Another solid trade, I really think Thalia is poised to do good things as the card is simply VERY powerful, and having playtested BV against her, I can tell you that Geistflame became an essential piece of a keepable hand! My opponent then decided to play turn 2 honor of the pure before Thalia turn 3 and I saw the future
My:
Isolated Chapel (8.2)
His:
2x Birthing Pod (4.73, 9.46)
Honor of the Pure (2.09)
Net: +3.35
Birthing Pod is a card that should start getting very popular now that undying is basically designed around the card, so I think these should be able to score me some very nice trades down the road!
4 trades
Overall Net: +11.49
Despite only getting in 4 trades, this was still a very good week for me, as if I gain 10 or more dollars every week on the value of my binder, I will reach $300 before the end of August! However last week was almost +15 and this week was just over 11, never mind when events like SCG Opens come around, I can see how this is actually going to be a feasable task!
Some financial notes related to the Pro Tour: a few cards whose values you need to be aware of:
Huntmaster of the Fells - 25.15
Primeval Titan - 19.12
Lingering Souls - 1.37
Dungeon Geist - 4.84
Sword of War and Peace - 48.75 (why did I just sell mine??!!)
Ratchet Bomb - 8.13
Elesh Norn - 18.96
That's all I have for today! If you want to help me along this pack to moat journey, send me a message or leave a comment, and I will be glad to receive any help I can get! That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
FNM was a Howl this Week!
Hello Everyone!
I was finally able to get back to FNM this week, although there was a problem - I had 2 decks, but they both required a LOT to be finished! One needed 4 Sorins, and the other needed a Garruk and 2 Huntmasters to be complete. Replacements would not be acceptable as those were some of the best cards in the deck. I was able to get my hands on some of the latter cards though, so this is the deck I registered for FNM:
4x Wolfbitten Captive
4x Mayor of Avabruck
4x Daybreak Ranger
3x Immerwolf
2x Phyrexian Metamorph
2x Huntmaster of the Fells
2x Instigator Gang
2x Incinerate
2x Arc Trail
3x Moonmist
3x Full Moon's Rise
2x Green Sun's Zenith
3x Garruk Relentless
4x Rootbound Crag
4x Copperline Gorge
3x Kessig Wolf Run
4x Mountain
9x Forest
Sideboard:
2x Ratchet Bomb
3x Act of Treason
2x Incinerate
1x Reckless Waif
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
3x Ancient Grudge
2x Beast Within
1x Tree of Redemption
This deck led me to a 3-2 record, which I feel very well could have been a 5-0 with proper sideboarding. Obviously this deck isn't perfectly tuned yet. In fact this was basically my first time playing the deck period as I really didn't do much with it besides 2-3 matches on Cockatrice the day before.
Some notes on this deck:
Every single card you play has the potential to be a major threat! We have a ton of lord effects between:
Mayor of Avabruck
Immerwolf
Instigator Gang
Full Moon's Rise
And some pump effects with:
Kessig Wolf Run
Garruk, the Veil-Cursed
One thing I found about this deck is that Daybreak Ranger is basically the best card! I had one game against Esper Spirits where I had 2 daybreak rangers sit there in play for 3 or 4 turns just dealing 2 damage to fliers until there was no tomorrow! Against Bant Pod, he had a hard time getting a chain going because I was able to consume all the guys he played before the pod could take over (there IS a downside to having an enters the battlefield effect!). Also, the reason Phyrexian Metamorph is there - if you copy a DFC, it cannot transform because the Metamorph itself doesn't have a back side. So Metamorph does a great job cloning Howpack Alpha or Wildblood Pack and killing opponents from nowhere!
A couple points where I messed up was not siding in Ancient Grudge against my Humans opponent when the only thing in her deck that could ever beat me was a sword. The other mistake I made was not bringing in Ratchet Bomb against mono-green wolf run because the only card that can beat me there is the Dungrove Elders.
With that being said, found this deck to be incredibly powerful! If I could change anything about it, I would try to add 1 or 2 either Reckless Waifs or Gatstaf Sheperds just to get a little more early game action. Also, I found Arc Trail to be bad against everything except Tempered Steel (and even then I brought them out for grudge) If I had to play this deck again tomorrow, I think it would look more like:
4x Wolfbitten Captive
2x Reckless Waif
4x Mayor of Avabruck
4x Daybreak Ranger
2x Immerwolf
2x Phyrexian Metamorph
2x Huntmaster of the Fells
2x Instigator Gang
3x Incinerate
3x Full Moon's Rise
3x Moonmist
2x Green Sun's Zenith
3x Garruk Relentless
4x Rootbound Crag
4x Copperline Gorge
3x Kessig Wolf Run
4x Mountain
9x Forest
Sideboard:
3x Ratchet Bomb
3x Traitorous Blood
1x Incinerate
1x Gatsaf Shepard
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
3x Ancient Grudge
2x Tree of Redemption
1x Sword of War and Peace
I really enjoyed playing this deck, and I honestly think it is a competitive deck! Every single card individually can win the game for you, and when combined, everything works very well synergistically! If you're looking for a fun deck that will make you howl, look no further than tribal Werewolves!
That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
I was finally able to get back to FNM this week, although there was a problem - I had 2 decks, but they both required a LOT to be finished! One needed 4 Sorins, and the other needed a Garruk and 2 Huntmasters to be complete. Replacements would not be acceptable as those were some of the best cards in the deck. I was able to get my hands on some of the latter cards though, so this is the deck I registered for FNM:
4x Wolfbitten Captive
4x Mayor of Avabruck
4x Daybreak Ranger
3x Immerwolf
2x Phyrexian Metamorph
2x Huntmaster of the Fells
2x Instigator Gang
2x Incinerate
2x Arc Trail
3x Moonmist
3x Full Moon's Rise
2x Green Sun's Zenith
3x Garruk Relentless
4x Rootbound Crag
4x Copperline Gorge
3x Kessig Wolf Run
4x Mountain
9x Forest
Sideboard:
2x Ratchet Bomb
3x Act of Treason
2x Incinerate
1x Reckless Waif
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
3x Ancient Grudge
2x Beast Within
1x Tree of Redemption
This deck led me to a 3-2 record, which I feel very well could have been a 5-0 with proper sideboarding. Obviously this deck isn't perfectly tuned yet. In fact this was basically my first time playing the deck period as I really didn't do much with it besides 2-3 matches on Cockatrice the day before.
Some notes on this deck:
Every single card you play has the potential to be a major threat! We have a ton of lord effects between:
Mayor of Avabruck
Immerwolf
Instigator Gang
Full Moon's Rise
And some pump effects with:
Kessig Wolf Run
Garruk, the Veil-Cursed
One thing I found about this deck is that Daybreak Ranger is basically the best card! I had one game against Esper Spirits where I had 2 daybreak rangers sit there in play for 3 or 4 turns just dealing 2 damage to fliers until there was no tomorrow! Against Bant Pod, he had a hard time getting a chain going because I was able to consume all the guys he played before the pod could take over (there IS a downside to having an enters the battlefield effect!). Also, the reason Phyrexian Metamorph is there - if you copy a DFC, it cannot transform because the Metamorph itself doesn't have a back side. So Metamorph does a great job cloning Howpack Alpha or Wildblood Pack and killing opponents from nowhere!
A couple points where I messed up was not siding in Ancient Grudge against my Humans opponent when the only thing in her deck that could ever beat me was a sword. The other mistake I made was not bringing in Ratchet Bomb against mono-green wolf run because the only card that can beat me there is the Dungrove Elders.
With that being said, found this deck to be incredibly powerful! If I could change anything about it, I would try to add 1 or 2 either Reckless Waifs or Gatstaf Sheperds just to get a little more early game action. Also, I found Arc Trail to be bad against everything except Tempered Steel (and even then I brought them out for grudge) If I had to play this deck again tomorrow, I think it would look more like:
4x Wolfbitten Captive
2x Reckless Waif
4x Mayor of Avabruck
4x Daybreak Ranger
2x Immerwolf
2x Phyrexian Metamorph
2x Huntmaster of the Fells
2x Instigator Gang
3x Incinerate
3x Full Moon's Rise
3x Moonmist
2x Green Sun's Zenith
3x Garruk Relentless
4x Rootbound Crag
4x Copperline Gorge
3x Kessig Wolf Run
4x Mountain
9x Forest
Sideboard:
3x Ratchet Bomb
3x Traitorous Blood
1x Incinerate
1x Gatsaf Shepard
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
3x Ancient Grudge
2x Tree of Redemption
1x Sword of War and Peace
I really enjoyed playing this deck, and I honestly think it is a competitive deck! Every single card individually can win the game for you, and when combined, everything works very well synergistically! If you're looking for a fun deck that will make you howl, look no further than tribal Werewolves!
That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
MTG just got Legit
Hello everyone!
If you are involved in the Magic community, or even just read magic articles, you probably know who Jon Medina is. If you read SCG during his short tenure there (I believe he got fired because he publicly opposed SCG on how they handled the Bertoncheaty situation, and how they revoked his 10K), or if you are fairly involved, then you probably know who Chris Mascioli is (his articles). For those who don't know who he is, Chris is a PTQ grinder who I believe is in NYC. He comments on almost every single SCG article (usually negatively) and runs a blog aptly named Your Article is Bad. To put it lightly, Chris is not a fan of Jon Medina at all!
Now back over to Jon; He was recently fired from SCG as well, and as I heard the reason he got fired was because his next article was about people becoming their own individual vendors on the trade floor. Naturally SCG didn't want people to stop going to them, so Jon got the boot. The problem here though is that now they have fired a magic celebrity. Jon is easily the #1 guy when it comes to magic finance, and as we all know celebrities never stay quiet.
I don't know if this was in development before he got the boot, or if it started because of his terminated position, but Jon unveiled his new site today LegitMTG.com. Right now there are 2 articles, which were both fine, but there was also an AWESOME podcast. If the word AWESOME being in all-caps rage mode doesn't convince you to give it a listen, then let me introduce it: Chris Mascioli sits down with his arch-enemy Jon Medina, and they just chat. For an hour. About stuff that is never boring.
Now, I have never given such praise to an individual piece before, whether it be an article or a podcast, but this podcast seemed to hit me for some reason. 2 enemy generals facing off, only to shake hands, and meet in the middle. It is things like this that makes the magic community so awesome! Because Chris and Jon are so very different from each other, their opposite perspectives on everything makes the final outcome of their conversation more thorough and objective.
But there's more to LegitMTG than that podcast.... or actually there WILL be. I am very excited to see where this site goes from here (and I am applying to see if they want me to write for them) and it will be added to the list of sites that I regularly check.
TL;DR: New Magic Website! Check it out! LegitMTG.com
That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
If you are involved in the Magic community, or even just read magic articles, you probably know who Jon Medina is. If you read SCG during his short tenure there (I believe he got fired because he publicly opposed SCG on how they handled the Bertoncheaty situation, and how they revoked his 10K), or if you are fairly involved, then you probably know who Chris Mascioli is (his articles). For those who don't know who he is, Chris is a PTQ grinder who I believe is in NYC. He comments on almost every single SCG article (usually negatively) and runs a blog aptly named Your Article is Bad. To put it lightly, Chris is not a fan of Jon Medina at all!
Now back over to Jon; He was recently fired from SCG as well, and as I heard the reason he got fired was because his next article was about people becoming their own individual vendors on the trade floor. Naturally SCG didn't want people to stop going to them, so Jon got the boot. The problem here though is that now they have fired a magic celebrity. Jon is easily the #1 guy when it comes to magic finance, and as we all know celebrities never stay quiet.
I don't know if this was in development before he got the boot, or if it started because of his terminated position, but Jon unveiled his new site today LegitMTG.com. Right now there are 2 articles, which were both fine, but there was also an AWESOME podcast. If the word AWESOME being in all-caps rage mode doesn't convince you to give it a listen, then let me introduce it: Chris Mascioli sits down with his arch-enemy Jon Medina, and they just chat. For an hour. About stuff that is never boring.
Now, I have never given such praise to an individual piece before, whether it be an article or a podcast, but this podcast seemed to hit me for some reason. 2 enemy generals facing off, only to shake hands, and meet in the middle. It is things like this that makes the magic community so awesome! Because Chris and Jon are so very different from each other, their opposite perspectives on everything makes the final outcome of their conversation more thorough and objective.
But there's more to LegitMTG than that podcast.... or actually there WILL be. I am very excited to see where this site goes from here (and I am applying to see if they want me to write for them) and it will be added to the list of sites that I regularly check.
TL;DR: New Magic Website! Check it out! LegitMTG.com
That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Pack to Moat!
Hello everybody!
Last week was the Dark Ascension Pre-Release, and I had a pretty interesting pool that included both 1 drop Werewolves, Elite Inquisitor, and a bunch of other goodies including 3 mana fixers. So I wound up playing a very aggressive naya deck. I wound up going 4-2 with the deck which was good for 16th place (of 55 or so) and 4 packs.
A while back, Mark was trying to get me to do a pack to power because of how much trading I was doing, and how I usually fared very well in these trades. While I didn't go for it at the time, it really made me think about possibly doing such an endeavor in the future. Well, that time is now! One of the Legacy players that comes every week just acquired a very nice minty English Moat:
So Sunday, the day after the pre-release I decided now is the time to do a pack -> really expensive card project. I'm just a week in, but I have already made a ton of trades! If you are unfamiliar with this project, here's the basic breakdown:
Starting with a Dark Ascension Booster pack, I must trade cards in only that binder for other cards, optimally gaining financial value every time. I will accept any trade as long as the other person agrees even if I am blatantly ripping them off (which I don't do normally). I will do my best to take pictures of every trade for basic evidence reasons, and every few days I will post an update to this blog. My very ambitious goal is to have it done before the summer, but more realistically before 2012 comes to a close. The original pack to power was done by Jonathan Medina, and is chronicled here.
So for starters here is the pack:
Which contained:
All prices are TCG Medium
Shriekgeist (0.10)
Burden of Guilt (0.09)
Faithless Looting (0.34)
Clinging Mists (0.09)
Executioner's Hood (0.09)
Chant of the Skirfsdag (0.09)
Highborn Ghoul (0.10)
Talons of Falkenrath (0.09)
Hollowhenge Spirit (0.15)
Gavony Ironwright (0.15)
Wakedancer (0.15)
Curse of Misfortunes (0.47)
Wolfbitten Captive (1.54)
FOIL Chill of Foreboding (0.50)
DFC proxy card
Total value: 3.95
So with everything combined, we get basically even to what a pack normally costs (although we got a double rare + foil pack just to break even, which goes to show why I don't buy packs anymore unless I'm drafting). Nothing incredible is in this pack, although there are a couple nice playables, so I think I should be able to get off to a good start. I think the hardest part of a pack to value is getting started because you have to be able to trade commons and uncommons for value and bring them up to rares and other cards that actually hold value.
January 30th
My:
1x Faithless Looting
0.34
John's:
1x Timely Reinforcements
1.78
Net: +1.44
So I was planning on having pictures of every trade I do for this project, but awkwardly enough I forgot it for the very first trade of the whole project!
February 1st
My:
1x Wolfbitten Captive
1.57
Andrew's:
1x Gravecrawler
7.59
Net: +6.02
Wow! I didn't realize this trade was so lopsided when I made it, because I honestly thought Gravecrawler was still at 4. I guess considering I was planning on buying every Gravecrawler in the world when it was at 4, I should have anticipated a rise....
My:
1x Shriekgeist
0.10
Sean's:
1x Stromkirk Captain
1.13
Net: +1.03
Being able to trade the commons for just about anything is very important, so any opportunity I can get to move this for anything if much appreciated.
My:
1x Gravecrawler
7.59
John's:
1x Olivia Voldaren
9.07
Net: +1.48
Hyped card for proven staple? Snap trade!
My:
1x Stromkirk Captain
1.13
Charlotte's:
1x Gut Shot
2.5
Net: +1.37
February 2nd
My:
1x Gut Shot
1x Burden of Guilt
1x Clinging Mists
2.68
Bobby's:
1x Blade Splicer
1x Divination (DKA)
1x Secrets of the Dead
4.34
Net: +1.66
Managed to trade a Shriekgeist all the way up to a Blade splicer in just 1 day! I feel like I'm setting up a strong platform for myself.
My:
1x Talons of Falkenrath
0.09
Andrew's:
1x Divination (DKA)
1x Forge Devil
1x Briarback Alpha
0.43
Net: +0.34
February 3rd
My:
1x Chant of the Skirfsdag
0.09
Andrew's:
1x Elvish Archdruid (M11)
1.50
Net: +1.41
This trade was a gift, Andrew (who is a different Andrew from all previous trades, who was the same person each time) just tossed the Chant off to the side as soon as the picture was taken. He told me how he tried to do it a year ago and really couldn't get anywhere with it, so he wanted to see how far I could go with it.
And yes, that is my pink trade binder, you are jealous!
So at the end of week 1 of trading up to a moat I am up to 4 rares, and have been able to trade out 6 of the 8 commons I started out with, so things aren't taking to long to get moving! This week I did 8 trades for a total net gain of +14.75! Already this pack is worth 4.5x more than when I first opened it!
Going forwards, I am going to probably update this blog on my trades every weekend (or a monday if I'm off to an SCG event or something). Now that I am fairly established, I will do my best to avoid gift trades. I am interested in online trading, so if you feel like helping the cause, just send me a message!
That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
Last week was the Dark Ascension Pre-Release, and I had a pretty interesting pool that included both 1 drop Werewolves, Elite Inquisitor, and a bunch of other goodies including 3 mana fixers. So I wound up playing a very aggressive naya deck. I wound up going 4-2 with the deck which was good for 16th place (of 55 or so) and 4 packs.
A while back, Mark was trying to get me to do a pack to power because of how much trading I was doing, and how I usually fared very well in these trades. While I didn't go for it at the time, it really made me think about possibly doing such an endeavor in the future. Well, that time is now! One of the Legacy players that comes every week just acquired a very nice minty English Moat:
So Sunday, the day after the pre-release I decided now is the time to do a pack -> really expensive card project. I'm just a week in, but I have already made a ton of trades! If you are unfamiliar with this project, here's the basic breakdown:
Starting with a Dark Ascension Booster pack, I must trade cards in only that binder for other cards, optimally gaining financial value every time. I will accept any trade as long as the other person agrees even if I am blatantly ripping them off (which I don't do normally). I will do my best to take pictures of every trade for basic evidence reasons, and every few days I will post an update to this blog. My very ambitious goal is to have it done before the summer, but more realistically before 2012 comes to a close. The original pack to power was done by Jonathan Medina, and is chronicled here.
So for starters here is the pack:
Which contained:
All prices are TCG Medium
Shriekgeist (0.10)
Burden of Guilt (0.09)
Faithless Looting (0.34)
Clinging Mists (0.09)
Executioner's Hood (0.09)
Chant of the Skirfsdag (0.09)
Highborn Ghoul (0.10)
Talons of Falkenrath (0.09)
Hollowhenge Spirit (0.15)
Gavony Ironwright (0.15)
Wakedancer (0.15)
Curse of Misfortunes (0.47)
Wolfbitten Captive (1.54)
FOIL Chill of Foreboding (0.50)
DFC proxy card
Total value: 3.95
So with everything combined, we get basically even to what a pack normally costs (although we got a double rare + foil pack just to break even, which goes to show why I don't buy packs anymore unless I'm drafting). Nothing incredible is in this pack, although there are a couple nice playables, so I think I should be able to get off to a good start. I think the hardest part of a pack to value is getting started because you have to be able to trade commons and uncommons for value and bring them up to rares and other cards that actually hold value.
January 30th
My:
1x Faithless Looting
0.34
John's:
1x Timely Reinforcements
1.78
Net: +1.44
So I was planning on having pictures of every trade I do for this project, but awkwardly enough I forgot it for the very first trade of the whole project!
February 1st
My:
1x Wolfbitten Captive
1.57
Andrew's:
1x Gravecrawler
7.59
Net: +6.02
Wow! I didn't realize this trade was so lopsided when I made it, because I honestly thought Gravecrawler was still at 4. I guess considering I was planning on buying every Gravecrawler in the world when it was at 4, I should have anticipated a rise....
My:
1x Shriekgeist
0.10
Sean's:
1x Stromkirk Captain
1.13
Net: +1.03
Being able to trade the commons for just about anything is very important, so any opportunity I can get to move this for anything if much appreciated.
My:
1x Gravecrawler
7.59
John's:
1x Olivia Voldaren
9.07
Net: +1.48
Hyped card for proven staple? Snap trade!
My:
1x Stromkirk Captain
1.13
Charlotte's:
1x Gut Shot
2.5
Net: +1.37
February 2nd
My:
1x Gut Shot
1x Burden of Guilt
1x Clinging Mists
2.68
Bobby's:
1x Blade Splicer
1x Divination (DKA)
1x Secrets of the Dead
4.34
Net: +1.66
Managed to trade a Shriekgeist all the way up to a Blade splicer in just 1 day! I feel like I'm setting up a strong platform for myself.
My:
1x Talons of Falkenrath
0.09
Andrew's:
1x Divination (DKA)
1x Forge Devil
1x Briarback Alpha
0.43
Net: +0.34
February 3rd
My:
1x Chant of the Skirfsdag
0.09
Andrew's:
1x Elvish Archdruid (M11)
1.50
Net: +1.41
This trade was a gift, Andrew (who is a different Andrew from all previous trades, who was the same person each time) just tossed the Chant off to the side as soon as the picture was taken. He told me how he tried to do it a year ago and really couldn't get anywhere with it, so he wanted to see how far I could go with it.
And yes, that is my pink trade binder, you are jealous!
So at the end of week 1 of trading up to a moat I am up to 4 rares, and have been able to trade out 6 of the 8 commons I started out with, so things aren't taking to long to get moving! This week I did 8 trades for a total net gain of +14.75! Already this pack is worth 4.5x more than when I first opened it!
Going forwards, I am going to probably update this blog on my trades every weekend (or a monday if I'm off to an SCG event or something). Now that I am fairly established, I will do my best to avoid gift trades. I am interested in online trading, so if you feel like helping the cause, just send me a message!
That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!
Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack
ThingsILack on mtgo
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