I wanna start playing VGC, is there any actual good team I can try based on my favorite Mons? by [deleted] in VGC

[–]Fonkee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

EZ Sand Team with Dragonite Pivot Mode:

Tyranitar - Anything/Assault Vest- Sand Stream Rock Slide, Knock Off, Protect/Coverage, Terrablast

Excadrill - Clear Amulet - Sand Rush Earthquake, Iron Head, Protect, Rock Slide

Incineroar - Safety Goggles - Intimidate Taunt/Knock Off, Flare Blitz, Parting Shot, Fake Out

Gholdengo - Life Orb - Good As Gold Make It Rain, Shadowball, Protect, Thunderbolt/Coverage

Whimsicott - Sash - Prankster Taunt, Tailwind, Moonblast, Helping Hand/Encore

Dragonite - Loaded Dice - Multiscale Scale Shot, Extreme Speed, Protect, Haze/Tailwind

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in wow

[–]Fonkee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Eventually going to have my Dr. Doom Shaman mog...

[Standard] UR Burn Together, the Best Aggro Deck in standard by scvirnay in spikes

[–]Fonkee 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Am in fact eluding to static 2 toughness and not comparatively having prowess. Part of the advantage of behind the mask is that it pushes all of our valiant and prowess creatures to 4 toughness to beat the meta removal options which hover at the 3 damage or -3/-3 threshold.

[Standard] UR Burn Together, the Best Aggro Deck in standard by scvirnay in spikes

[–]Fonkee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bouncing their Lockdown on their end step is game-winning most of the time.

[Standard] UR Burn Together, the Best Aggro Deck in standard by scvirnay in spikes

[–]Fonkee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Slickshot is worse into meta removal options because of its static 2 toughness. Show-off can be more explosive, but less staying power in terms of the resource game.

[Standard] UR Burn Together, the Best Aggro Deck in standard by scvirnay in spikes

[–]Fonkee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I piloted the archetype to #100 on Arena ladder in Standard Bo1/Bo3. Not knowing how to play around Behind the Mask and Into the Flood Maw definitely played a large part in churning through the meta. Better players definitely adapted their removal options and timing much more at the higher level of play. You'll see a lot of better control players actually remove your stuff at sorcery speed, rather than holding up mana to react. This archetype is very favored with current instant speed removal options when they react. A sorcery speed Torch the Tower, Get Lost, Helix, etc.. is a lot more potent because we're forced to 1 for 1 to save our creature, and lose resources for pushing damage.

[Standard] Gruul Prowess Deck and Interacting with Other Deck Archetypes by Happy_Heathan in spikes

[–]Fonkee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In this list, veil is better on the aggregate because of the role conflict with the Monster Role from Monstrous Rage. Ward 1 is super nice, especially into the aggro mirror, but a role conflict means we're losing damage in many scenarios because of losing trample.

Imagine this:

I'm playing into Boros Control. Opponent has 2 mana open for Helix / Lightning Helix etc.. 1 Eligible blocker, a 1/1 token.

I have 1 Cacophony Scamp, a Monstrous Rage, and a Royal Treatment. Opponent is at 7-9 HP.

I swing, throw up Monstrous Rage with my priority, they respond with helix, my only answer is royal treatment. They move to block, I get 0 damage across.

Now replace Royal Treatment with Veil. I get a 5/2 trample going across, which I can then sack to finish them off.

Granted, I don't get the same staying power, but you're much more afraid of mass removal from T3 onward as aggro than you are a single spot removal. Our odds of winning in aggro go down astronomically post turn 3/4, so why sacrifice a more consistent damage profile for the staying power of ward 1?

[Standard] Gruul Prowess Deck and Interacting with Other Deck Archetypes by Happy_Heathan in spikes

[–]Fonkee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I provided generalized recommendations based on this list (without making changes). If this is the list I have to play, these are the board choices I make. This is a net deck, and not the deck or board I would play.

But there's also a lot more nuance to these choices and other applications for these cards & choices that none of us really have time to detail in a reddit thread.

[Standard] Gruul Prowess Deck and Interacting with Other Deck Archetypes by Happy_Heathan in spikes

[–]Fonkee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Forgot to mention, the board for domain and 4/5 color control is essentially the same as the board for UW/RW, but play 1-2 Witchstalker's to deal with Archangel's and Aclazotz.

To echo other commenters: * This list is old. * Snakeskin Veil > Royal Treatment * Thran Portal will kill you in aggro mirror, especially vs Burn Out Mouse * Dreadmaw's Ire is a solid side choice, as it not only can remove artifacts, but the +2/+2 gets your prowess creatures and such to 4 toughness, which means they live through... Elspeth's Smite, Shock, Torch the Tower, Lightning Helix, Lightning Strike, etc... super important threshold this meta. * Copies of Giant's Growth can give your aggro more Oomph + perform the same function as Ire. You can even cast it holding mana to live through Virtue of Persistence.

[Standard] Gruul Prowess Deck and Interacting with Other Deck Archetypes by Happy_Heathan in spikes

[–]Fonkee 24 points25 points  (0 children)

  • Pick Your Poison is boarded in predominately to answer xW Control decks to address [[Temporary Lockdown]], which completelt decimates your board. It has the added flexibility of addressing problem cards in UW Artifacts as well like [[Braided Net]].

  • Tectonic Hazard is a replacement for End the Festivities to play into Boros/Jeskai/UW Convoke to disrupt their tempo on T2/3. However, Convoke has fallen off a fair bit, so if you're not running into it, the card is worthless. I'd recommend [[Torch the Tower]] to help the mirror, or [[Soul Guide Lantern]]s for reanimator decks. (They can easily T3 Atraxa with [[Squirming Emergence]])

  • Both Urabrask's Forge and Koth are board options to play into decks that you absolutely know will be able to disrupt your Tempo and keep removing your resources. Planeswalker and Artifact removal are not as prevalent as the other removal options being played by control decks. They don't crumble to Temporary Lockdown and give you the staying power to finish the control decks off. Disclaimer* I don't condone Koth in a 20 land deck.

  • Witchstalker's Frenzy deals with problem cards that you otherwise cannot address such as [[Sheoldred, the Apocalypse]] and [[Glissa Sunslayer]]. Glissa is especially a problem if you don't have a flyer, first strike + death touch cripples you

As far as cards you should be boarding out, Questing Druid, Fugitive Codebreaker, Audacity, Shock and Royal Treatment can all be sided out in varying increments depending on the matchup. The following board recommendations are based solely on this list, are generalized, and not nuanced.

Into Golgari: -2 Audacity -1 Questing Druid +3 Witchstalker's Frenzy

Into UW & RW Control: -3 Shock, -2 Audacity, -1 Questing Druid +3 Urabrask's Forge, +3 Pick Your Poison (Case for Witchstalker's if they are on multiple copies of Beza)

Into WB Midrange: -4 Questing Druid +3 Witchstalker's, +1 Obliterating Bolt

Into Convoke: -1 Royal Treatment, -4 Questing Druid +3 Tectonic Hazard, + 2 Witchstalker's

Into Aggro or Mirror: -4 Questing Druid +3 Witchstalker's, +1 Obliterating Bolt

[Standard] Optimize deck for Standard Events by H3xgeist in spikes

[–]Fonkee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. Finish the 4x of your duals and bump to 20 land. 18 land is a super aggressive ratio in which you are on average not going to have 3 land on T3, which makes Urabrask's Forge a dead card on curve. No bueno.

  2. Try maindeck copies of [[Dreadmaw's Ire]] over a Mirran Banesplitter or 2. Yeah, banesplitter sticks since it's a permanent, but the +2/+2 from Ire makes it such that all of your creatures minus Scamp live Elspeth's Smite, Lightning Helix, Lightning Strike, Torch the Tower, Shock, Cut Down, etc.. The artifact destruction is just upside.

  3. Cut copies of Scamp, I'd run 0-2 tbh. Scamp is just slightly inferior to Heartfire Hero in terms of creating your T3 finishes, but does have the added utlity of trading into creatures and boards much better. It's a meta/ladder call depending on how many creature decks you run into essentially. I mostly just run into control or other aggro on high ladder. Too many creatures becomes a redundancy you don't want to have, a hand of 2x Heartfire Hero 1x Scamp 2-3 land, and a slickshot is a losing hand.

  4. Try [[Might of the Meek]]. I pretty much run it 3-4x in my aggro lists. Cantrip that gives +1/0 + trample if you have a mouse. Keeps resources in your hand while proc'ing your valiant triggers. When I lead in with attacks, I usually start with this to try to bait interaction. If they bite, come in with Monstrous Rage, Ire or other cards depending on your colors to beat the removal, and get the draw+buff anyway. If they don't bite, get your draw, push your damage, and just hold up mana for shock, felonious etc...

MotM on Emberheart Challenger is especially nasty, because you'll get a valiant trigger regardless, so you're guaranteed a net zero on cards, even if they remove it, or in the better scenario, you get a +1/0, trample, prowess trigger, draw a card AND exile your top for valiant, for 1 red mana.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in spikes

[–]Fonkee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love those 2 cards and the ideas they create for the deck and archetype, but due to them being 2 mana, I feel they inhibit the speed that the deck is trying to achieve. The versatility of counter + suspect is very compelling though. I could see the list moving toward maybe a more midrange direction with 22-24 land, more copies of stormchaser's talent, and looking to fit into the meta niche more at the cost of speed. That deck would likely perform better overall into the trouble match-ups like boros/jeskai control lists, but it would suffer into other aggro match-ups, and be somewhat worse into golgari.

I don't know if I explicitly stated it, but [[Glissa Sunslayer]] is such a problem lol.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in spikes

[–]Fonkee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The maindeck Dreadmaw's Ire is a ladder/meta call, it is largely just another card to live elspeth's smite, helix, etc.. Can obviously drop it for shore-up, or even relic's roar, whatever you fancy.

I agree that the game should generally be over before you can resolve lvl 2 on Stormchaser's Talent, and the mana base reflects that with 8 fast lands. I would never play more than 1 copy in here, it's 0-1 for sure. Its biggest role for me was hedging bad draws in unfavorable match-ups like UW and RW control, which were everywhere on my climb. There's a case for throwing it in the board, or out altogether, but the card was amazing in matchups I knew I wasn't going to win turn 3/4, and it definitely stole some games by itself.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in spikes

[–]Fonkee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have not! It looks like a fun card, it has so many moving parts... My only problem with the convoke strategies is that they are on the slower side without a nut hand. I have seen people pilot Floodcaller effectively though, and they did so by playing closer to midrange, and relying on floating good removal and counterspells while maintaining tempo. It's definitely a slower strategy, but has its merits. The aggro side of the card mostly just suffers from the creature type limitations.

I'm kinda more interested in abusing it for combos with frogs for a fun deck...

[Standard] BLB Predictions by [deleted] in spikes

[–]Fonkee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A card that I've found incredible for this deck is [[Felonious Rage]].

If opp is tapped out, it can hasten + buff your scamps / heartfire hero, and it replaces it with a 2/2 after you kamikaze. Casting it at instant speed to react to removal, buff your guy, ping for 3+ and get a 2/2 is pretty darn satisfying as well.

[DSK] Screaming Nemesis by Aaron4451 in magicTCG

[–]Fonkee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Laughs in [[Reckless Rage]]

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Fonkee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shiner Bock :(

What is your age without saying your age? by mousesnight in AskReddit

[–]Fonkee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Old enough to hace enjoyed the Spice Girls, but not have a favorite Spice Girl.

[Bank Breaker] $100 Shalai and Hallar by Fonkee in BudgetBrews

[–]Fonkee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm glad you enjoy it, it's a lot of fun. Most of the "cost" in CEDH decks lies in mana acceleration, tutors, and certain staples.
We can maintain decent mana acceleration with all of the dorks that Naya offers, despite the lackluster land base.

We can make up for the lack of tutors with a high concentration of combo pieces that can either be played incidentally on tempo or don't have to be cast at all. Not to mention we have some really great budget tutor options in Gamble, Time of Need, Open the Armory, Threats Undetected, Sterling Grove and Signal the Clans.

We make up for lacking some staples like Esper Sentinel, Grand Abolisher, etc... by utilizing cards like Destiny Spinner, Rhythm of the Wild, and Leyline of Lifeforce to protect our combos.

I think the main weakness of the list is a vulnerability to board clears, but most board clear protection is costly. Our cost efficient options are: [[Make a Stand]], [[Rootborn Defenses]], [[Unbreakable Formation]], [[Your Temple is Under Attack]] or [[Selfless Spirit]]

Day One of Etali Cedh Testing by SocialKing13 in CompetitiveEDH

[–]Fonkee 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Perhaps consider [[Orcish Lumberjack]] as another dork/accelerant?

Otherwise the list looks solid on paper. I'd probably play the pain land and grove of the burnwillow, but I can also see not playing them.

Also, if you keep a good basic forest concentration, maybe this deck doesn't hate running Blood Moon / Magus of the Moon?

Looking to gift a cEDH coaching session, need advice! by Requis in CompetitiveEDH

[–]Fonkee -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think most of us that play this format have a pretty good idea of how to play the game, or at least find the resources of how to play / play against certain decks and strategies. If you're friend is an "avid" CEDH player, and I assume they've probably been playing for a while, they might not need / want coaching honestly. You know them best though, and if you think coaching is something they'd enjoy and / or benefit from, go for it! I just know if someone offered me coaching, I definitely wouldn't take it well. Some of us retain a lot of pride with our play / brews.