Pack to Moat Week 19

V FOR VICTORY!

This past week was an absolutely INSANE week for trading, so let me chronicle how I managed to make this pic happen:

Unfortunately, I have only an hour or two to type this up before I have to head back out to camp, so I will be very brief in my trade commentary. Also, there were 37 trades completed this week, so there is too much to even remember most of them! Never mind recalling specific details... But here we go!

June 4, 2012

My:
Vexing Devil (7.74)

His:
Silverblade Paladin (6.03)
Glacial Fortress (4.17)

Net: +2.46

My:
Woodland Cemetery (4.68)

His:
Buy a Box Mirran Crusader (6.58)

Net: +1.90

This trade was probably a mistake... Mirran Crusader is pretty unplayable right now, and people don't want to pay double for a promo, mostly because no one is really aware that the promos are always worth a little more...

June 5, 2012

My:
Sulfur Falls (5.72)

His:
Isolated Chapel (7.96)

Net: +2.24

My:
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad (20.42)
Geralf's Messenger (4.77)

His:
Tibalt, the Blood-Fiend (9.38)
Garruk Relentless (10.34)
Surgical Extraction (6.22)
Isolated Chapel (7.96)

Net: +8.71

I realized my binder had become too thin in the options I gave to the person I was trading I with. The purpose of this trade was simply to create a diversity of choices for my trade partners and help foster trades.

June 6, 2012

My:
Vindicate (27.90)

His:
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage (30.63)

Net: +2.73

Vindicate is a very minorly used legacy card, so I lept at the opportunity when one of the guys said he really needed one!

My:
Champion of the Parish (5.56)

His:
Phyrexian Metamorph (6.69)

Net: +1.13

My:
2x Time Spiral (21.91, 43.82)
Surgical Extraction (6.22)

His:
Elspeth, Knight-Errant (28.22)
Cavern of Souls (24.25)

Net: +2.43

When I got the two Time Spirals, I contacted one of the local players who is building High Tide, and so I had these reserved for him for the past week. Having specific outlets for cards makes people happy when they realize you're catering to them and they are more likely to give you good cards. Elspeth is a stretch, but it was the only card at the price I was looking for.

My:
Stromkirk Noble (3.64)
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage (30.63)
Glacial Fortress (4.31)

His:
Darkslick Shores (10.93)
Geist of Saint Traft (19.18)
Griselbrand (14.56)

Net: +6.09

Griselbrand is a card I anticipate will be incredibly popular at SCG Worcester. Darkslick is a bit of a risk though

June 8, 2012

My:
Cavern of Souls (24.25)

His:
2x Rootbound Crag (3.86, 7.72)
Huntmaster of the Fells (19.5)

Net: +2.97

My:
Tibalt, the Blood Fiend (9.38)

His:
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (3.77)
Copperline Gorge (7.79)

Net: +2.18

My:
Griselbrand (14.56)
Terminus (4.51)

His:
Kessig Wolf Run (1.64)
Foil 7th Edition Sleight of Hand (10.00)
Silverblade Paladin (6.07)
Copperline Gorge (7.79)

Net: +6.43

We had no idea what to value the Sleight of Hand at, so we just guessed 2. Turns out it's worth 10!

My:
2x Silverblade Paladin (6.07, 12.14)
2x Rootbound Crag (3.86, 7.72)
2x Huntmaster of the Fells (19.5, 39)
3x Copperline Gorge (7.79, 23.37)

His:
Vexing Devil (8.45)
Leyline of Sanctity (3.88)
Iona, Shield of Emeria (14.12)
Primeval Titan (15.11)
Foil Geist of Saint Traft (38)

Net: -2.67

This is why I was trading for a ton of humans cards over the course of the day. One of the guys who was hanging out at Mark's apartment wanted to play Naya Humans, so I gladly took up the role of providing him all the cards he needed. Even though I took a small hit on this one, I helped out a friend, and I was able to make trades all day with confidence, gaining a little value each time.

June 9, 2012

My:
Isolated Chapel (7.94)

His:
Seachrome Coast (11.34)

Net: +3.40

My:
Geist of Saint Traft (19.25)
Kessig Wolf Run (1.65)
Seachrome Coast (11.34)

His:
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn (18.39)
2x Sulfur Falls (5.73, 11.46)
Clifftop Retreat (5.72)

Net: +3.33

My:
Foil Geist of Saint Traft (38)
Foil Grafdigger's Cage (10)
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (3.78)
Desolate Lighthouse (1.87)

His:
Show and Tell (50.42)

Net: -3.23

Finally got rid of the foil Grafdiffer's Cage! Trading for the Show and Tell is huge because it's another staple high value card that I can use to finalize the binder

My:
Underground Sea (134.79)
Elspeth, Knight-Errant (28.18)

His:
Volcanic Island (104.32)
Chrome Mox (13.54)
Wasteland (46.16)

Net: +1.05

Add wasteland to the list of boom boom cards! At this point I realized I was incredibly close to finishing the project!

My:
Phyrexian Metamorph (6.64)

His:
Wurmcoil Engine (13.12)

Net: +6.48

He thought Wurmcoil was worth 8. Suuure it is.....

My:
Darkslick Shores (10.99)

His:
Primeval Titan (14.99)

Net: +4

My:
Vexing Devil (8.45)

His:
Tibalt, the Blood Fiend (9.31)

Net: +0.86

My:
Show and Tell (50.42)
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn (18.39)
Volcanic Island (104.32)

His:
Tundra (112.32)
Jace, the Mind Sculptor (58.29)

Net: -2.52

My:
Buy a Box Mirran Crusader (6.63)

His:
Foil Glacial Fortress (8)

Net: +1.37

My:
Isolated Chapel (7.94)
Clifftop Retreat (5.72)

His:
Garruk Relentless (10.31)
Sunpetal Grove (3.29)
Hellrider (2.68)

Net: +2.62

My:
Leyline of Sanctity (3.88)

His:
Zealous Conscripts (4.71)

Net: +0.83

My:
Garruk Relentless (10.31)
Helvault (0.99)

His:
FNM Dismember (4)
Prerelease Phyrexian Metamorph (8)
Clifftop Retreat (5.72)

Net: +6.22

This guy offered me the Dismember for the Helvault straight-up before he realized I actually had real cards in the binder. After working out a normal trade, he kept to his original offer as well

My:
Wasteland (46.16)
Garruk Relentless (10.31)

His:
Jace, the Mind Sculptor (58.29)

Net: +1.82

Free upgrade!

June 10, 2012

My:
Chrome Mox (13.50)

His:
Temporal Mastery (17.09)

Net: +3.59

My:

4x Brainstorm (1.72, 6.88)

Iona, Shield of Emeria (14.43)

Tundra (112.54)

His:

Underground Sea (134.10)

Unhinged Forest (2.86)

Net: +3.11

My:

Unhinged Forest (2.86)

Birds of Paradise (4.28)

Jace, the Mind Sculptor (58.25)

His:

Force of Will (64.83)

Net: -0.56

Free upgrade!

My:

2x Primeval Titan (14.43, 28.86)

His:

Geist of Saint Traft (19.2)

Phantasmal Image (11.82)

Gaddock Teeg (4.55)

Net: +6.71

My:

Bloodghast (3.14)

Bloodgift Demon (0.56)

Zealous Conscripts (4.53)

His:

Stoneforge Mystic (7.35)

Nimble Mongoose (1.49)

Net: +0.61

Some cards, like Bloodghast, have been rotting in my binder for forever, so even though I technically only netted 0.61, in my mind I netted +4.31

I believe this picture was actually taken backwards considering I never had 2 stoneforges in my binder at any one time....

My:

Stoneforge Mystic (7.35)

His:

Silverblade Paladin (6.03)

Terminus (4.48)

Net: +3.16

My:

Underground Sea (134.10)

Jace, the Mind Sculptor (58.25)

His:

Counterbalance (6.92)

Burning Wish (8.05)

Savannah (87.57)

Tropical Island (96.39)

Net: +6.58

Yeah! Second Dual Land! I specifically traded for a Tropical Island as opposed to a different Dual Land so that I would have traded for all the blue lands over the course of the weekend.

My:

FNM Dismember (4)

His:

Solemn Simulacrum (5.61)

Net: +1.61

My:

Tibalt, the Fiend Blooded (8.58)

His:

2x Gravecrawler (5.26, 10.52)

Net: +1.94

My:

Phantasmal Image (11.82)

Foil Glacial Fortress (8)

Geist of Saint Traft (19.2)

Silverblade Paladin (6.03)

His:

Foil Griselbrand (40)

Progenitus (15.03)

Terminus (4.48)

Net: +14.46

We valued Foil Griselbrand at 30, which I happily obliged to. The foil price on this card is incredibly hard to determine.... Just look at the prices - they range from 30 to 60! 

My:

Foil Griselbrand (40)

Temporal Mastery (17.09)

Counterbalance (6.92)

His:

Wasteland (45.91)

Net: -18.10

As I was trading or the Griselbrand, Mark and Bobby were right behind me, and they both exploded in excitement when I got the foil Griselbrand because they both wanted it. I couldn't even sit up before I had offers coming my way. Mark had a Flooded Strand for trade and Bobby had a Wasteland. Because I couldn't even get up, the guy who traded me the Griselbrand was right there and so I didn't feel I could just change the price right there (probably would have said 35). Regardless, I knew I was a wasteland away from the Moat, so even though I lost insane value on this trade, I honestly didn't care...

Right after that trade, I called Matt over, and then all this started to happen:

Inspecting the binder

He decided he was going to pull cards instead of take the whole binder, which wasn't what I wanted originally, but he said there were tons of cards he had absolutely no use for.

Time for some math!

I jokingly pointed out at the beginning of the plucking process that the Moldgraf Monstrosity was the best card in the binder, so he decided I should sign "I == Moat" on it

BAM! It is official!

I had another Moldgraf Monstrosity in the binder, so he signed one for me

My:
Progenitus (15.03)
Wasteland (45.91)
Force of Will (64.83)
Savannah (87.57)
Tropical Island (96.39)
Ulvenwald Tracker (1.11)
Burning Wish (8.05)
Wurmcoil Engine (12.61)
2x Gravecrawler (5.26, 10.52)

His:
NM English Moat (300)

Net: -42.02

Man... I was really sad I lost value on this trade.... But you know, I think I am ok with it!

My:

Dark Ascension Booster Pack (3.50)

His:

NM English Moat (300)

167 Trades

Net: Infinite

I want to thank everyone who I traded with and interacted with over the course of this project, you were all a huge help! Thank you to all of my friends who supported me, even when I was too tired or too stressed out and felt like quitting! This was a huge endeavor, and I am so stoked that I finally got there! Thank you to all of my readers as well, you're the reason I keep the blog running!

And on that final note.... I will hardly be posting over the summer! I may try to get a couple posts in on my opinions of the M13 spoilers, but I really won't be playing, so there will really be nothing left to commentate on. So until the fall....

Stay Classy!

Ryan Lackie

Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com

@ThingsILack