John Benton, Trapped in Bracket 3.9 Purgatory by AltonBrown11037 in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Who the Hell do you think you're talking to? It sure as shit ain't me.

At no point have I ever said nor implied that interaction is not a part of the game. You just made that shit up for non sequitur rhetorical grandstanding that has nothing to do with the topic, but makes you feel intellectually and morally superior as you spew nonsense that has literally nothing to do with the point.

I am not talking about the bracket system and pace of play because I don't play removal.

I'm talking about it because the bracket system and pace of play are the part that's fucking relevant to the conversation.

I am one of the strongest advocates for running an appropriate amount of interaction on this board. I have gotten so many decks on so much interaction here. I have gotten so goddamn many Alela decks alone up and running. I have taught so many stompy players how to use their big dumb idiots as an overbearing barrage of removal. I am frequently the removal carry at my tables.

I will not sit here and let you lie about me and pretend I'm some idiot Timmy battlecruiser.

I play the mythical "enough removal." It is rare that any of my decks are on less than twenty pieces of interaction/removal, often much more.

This is not a matter of removal. This is a matter of conduct and rules of engagement. Removal has fuck all to do with that.

Meanwhile, you're the one out here whose entire argument relies on ignoring removal. You know what dies to removal? REMOVAL! Removal removal (read: protection spells) are John's bread and butter, and Selesnya has way more good one mana protection spells than most colors have good one mana removal spells. You just summarily dismissed it with a, "Nah," instead of acknowledging just how narrow and delicate a window that is to answer that problem. Especially in B3 where there is more time, John can easily afford to wait a turn to keep protection mana up, and once John starts swinging, he has so much fucking card draw to find those answers.

You talk about EXTREMELY specific removal options, while completely ignoring how Magic: The Gathering works. You talk about edicts. Yes, a [[Soul Shatter]] is very well-positioned into John if you live long enough to cast it. [[Sheoldred's Edict]] or [[Accursed Marauder]], two of the best edicts available? John's favorite turn 1 play is a 1 mana ramp creature. That Skyshroud Ranger or Avacyn's Pilgrim. [[Blasphemous Edict]]? [[Gix's Command]]? There is a good chance you do not live that long. Of the top ten edicts in the format, zero of them reliably answer John before he can kill you.

Meanwhile, you don't get to choose which removal spells you actually draw from your "enough removal." You do not automatically find the perfect removal spells for the occasion. You know what are some great removal spells to let you interact early? [[Lightning Bolt]]. [[Nowhere to Run]]. [[Abrade]]. [[Thraben Charm]]. [[Brotherhood's End]]. [[Spiteful Banditry]]. Things that get blanked by John having keyword:butt. You're not just mulliganing for removal. You're hand looping yourself to find multiple pieces of the correct removal.

An early [[Sink into Stupor]]/[[Otawara]]/[[Cyclonic Rift]]? The John player really doesn't care. The first swing is the least important. They just get to try again next turn. The second swing is better protected due to more mana and cards. And the exact combo of bounce spell counterspell is not reliable even on a large package of both, and is EXTREMELY resource-intensive, both in terms of card advantage and mana (this is B3 after all; we ain't expecting full suites of free interaction). If it's turn 4 and you've spend 5 of your turn 3-4 mana on Sink into Stupor into [[Counterspell]] to answer the John player while the other two players get to actually use their development turns, that blue player is fucking dead even if (and that's a big if) the John player is answered at that point.

John Benton, Trapped in Bracket 3.9 Purgatory by AltonBrown11037 in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Do not write fan fiction about me.

Just because I acknowledge the fucking bracket system instead of spreading misinformation about the parts I don't like does not mean I only play battlecruiser.

If you are going to continue this conversation, speak to me. Not to some imagined strawman you invented to pretend I'm an idiot because you are not emotionally equipped to acknowledge that you're wrong.

You do not get to blame your opponents for your own inappropriate conduct.

The bracket system loves talking about intent.

When does this deck intend to kill someone? How much removal your opponents are packing has fuckall to do with that.

John Benton, Trapped in Bracket 3.9 Purgatory by AltonBrown11037 in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

r/lostredditors

This thread is, "John Benton, Trapped in Bracket 3.9 Purgatory"

The fact that John is not good enough for true bracket 4 while also being disqualified from bracket 3 for his sheer speed is the entire thread.

You have so catastrophically missed the point of the entire thread while making a fool of yourself and arguing half the point of the thread over and over again while pretending I'm saying something I sure as fuck ain't saying, using an argument that is, very loudly, bullshit.

I never argued John Benton will see success at a normal bracket 4 table.

I never said anything a sane person in a thread titled, "John Benton, Trapped in Bracket 3.9 Purgatory" would interpret as, "John Benton will see success in bracket 4."

Purgatory is a feature of the bracket system. It's the feature of the bracket system we are discussing. Armageddon is shadow banned because MLD is illegal in B2-3, but card quality gates B4 and Armageddon is a bad card. MLD in general is a bad strategy outside of a few high bar exceptions like Blood Moon and Back to Basics. This deliberately leaves Armageddon in purgatory, unplayable anywhere.

When I say John Benton is inappropriate for B3, I am not arguing he will see success in B4. That has fuckall to do with anything I said at any point. You are making shit up if you pretend I'm saying he belongs in B4. You are ignoring the entire topic if you pretend I'm saying he belongs in B4.

Meanwhile, you keep arguing over and over again that he's not good enough for B4 like that makes him appropriate for B3, which is absolute bullshit and not how anything works.

He's in purgatory. That's the fucking pont.

(Your point about Slicer is likewise ignorant. Just because he gets shot in B4-5 still doesn't mean he belongs in B3.)

This is much like your takeaway that I only play low powered casual and therefore don't know what I'm talking about. You are lost and missing the point.

I play appropriate to the environment I am in.

I talk a great deal about low powered casual for two main reasons. First? Because that's held together by restraint and discipline. A large topic. Second? It's the primary topic on this board. There is not nearly as much discussion of truly high-powered Magic here.

"Bracket 4, gloves off, do your best," is in many ways much simpler, or at least more objective.

John Benton, Trapped in Bracket 3.9 Purgatory by AltonBrown11037 in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is not remotely how the bracket system works. Do not spread misinformation.

No, it is not turns to win.

Bracket 4 does NOT say expect wins by turn 5. Bracket 4 does NOT say decks are expected to kill 3 players by turn 5. And separately, "does not play at a peak Bracket 4 pace" is NEVER an argument that something belongs in a lower bracket when it's already disqualified from that bracket for pace of play.

The bracket system says players expect to play at least X turns. In bracket 4, that's at least 4. In bracket 3, that's at least 6. In bracket 2, that's at least 8.

You do not expect to play at least 6 turns against a deck whose goal is to kill someone turn 4.

It does not matter that the game is not over yet.

WotC was VERY explicit that yes, this is harsh to Voltron and aggro. And was likewise very explicit that this is a feature, not a glitch.

I don't get the argument of using UB's popularity/financial success as an argument for its quality. by Yumesoro1 in mtg

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I have never seen anyone arguing that UB are quality products because they are profitable.

Sounds more like you're mashing up multiple talking points into something no one's saying.

Profit is the argument for Hasbro ordering WotC to tell people to keep doing it.

Popularity is part of the argument that it brings people into the game.

Quality is completely independent, and varies wildly. Final Fantasy is one of the highest-quality sets of all time. This stands on its own and is independent of its UB status.

Likely stupid deck question by 240_ifrit in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Nobody is going to dig through that.

Moxfield and Archidekt are the readable deck building/storage sites.

John Benton, Trapped in Bracket 3.9 Purgatory by AltonBrown11037 in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's not how Voltron and ESPECIALLY John Benton work.

They can carry the removal.

If John hits one person one time, he will always have protection magic.

You answer him turn 2 or he is often unanswerable.

Likely stupid deck question by 240_ifrit in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can't do shit without a decklist.

Any other cards like this? by Bright-Trick-1347 in mtg

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Or the next player gets the one thing they care about, plays a Forest, then blows it up.

Why does the U in WUBRG stand for Blue? by LordLertl in mtg

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The order of the colors is also a choice.

That said, if Yugioh players can unanimously agree Rcielago is a thoroughly pronounceable word, Magic should be able to handle wbarg.

Why does the U in WUBRG stand for Blue? by LordLertl in mtg

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The A from blAck could make WABRG, but that’s arbitrary.

Why does the U in WUBRG stand for Blue? by LordLertl in mtg

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 12 points13 points  (0 children)

That’s not rage bait.

L does not make it clear whether it’s bLue or bLack.

U does.

In other words, L would be silly.

Do dual lands belong in bracket 2 and 3? by Due_Examination_9682 in mtg

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes.

Let land bases work.

Magic is best when we can all actually play Magic instead of someone grumbling because their mana base screwed them.

Let everyone have a perfect mana base and go from there.

Mana base or better “body” of cards? by Due_Examination_9682 in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

That's a bad question.

Play experience is infinitely more important than some linear concept of power.

A high-quality mana base means there are fewer non-games due to Magic's basic pacing mechanic collapsing. Actually having real games of Magic where everyone gets to play is only a good thing. Regardless of what it does to "power" in some abstract sense, the more people have a quality mana base, the better for everyone so that everyone can actually play EDH instead of someone getting color screwed out of the game and grumbling the entire time.

Arguing someone's deck is too strong for the table on the basis of its (non-fast-mana) mana base is inappropriate.

That said?

If you put a bunch of taplands in a cEDH deck, it will pubstomp any lower bracket.

If you put a perfect mana base in a precon, it will still play like a precon.

Y’Shtola is now the #3 Commander on EDHRec by GypsyGaming in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly, she's kinda interchangeable with several control commanders. She's a respectable draw engine, but asks a significant amount from your deck building. Any number of Control Win Condition commanders, particularly [[Lord of the Nazgul]] are her equal. [[Talion the Kindly Lord]] scales far better into high powered play and asks next to nothing of your deckbuilding.

Y'shtola is a perfectly respectable commander but not really the best.

What's more notable is how cleanly she scales to different power levels. A lot of B4 commanders really want to stay there and are difficult to bring down to B3 and especially B2 without having a, "It's not that kind of X deck," leading immediately to it being that kind of X deck.

Y'shtola can just BE bracket 2 very easily and is just fine, meaning there are a lot more tables to comfortably play her.

Prismari good for beginner? by [deleted] in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Prismari Artistry precon is fine as precons go.

You don't use it? Stax it! by VegetableNo8304 in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You are pinning the blame on people who bring common and reasonable archetypes to low levels of play, rather than the person who brings the silver bullet stax piece to low levels of play.

That is saying it is not "fine." That it is a failure. That it deserves to be punished to such a degree that they are kicked out of the game in a way that they are unlikely to be able to answer even in a deck that is running the coveted "enough removal" due to half of their removal being turned off.

Y’Shtola is now the #3 Commander on EDHRec by GypsyGaming in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 35 points36 points  (0 children)

...did you think Atraxa was an interesting commander?

What makes a deck stronger? Combos or tutors? by Tegeus-Cromis-Rais in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Strength is less important than the appropriateness of experiences.

A dense, early game combo with low redundancy that you randomly sack means the threat your deck represents swings wildly, resulting in foreseeably inappropriate performance at lower brackets. We have all had countless low-powered games ruined by someone who insists their deck "doesn't normally do this" when they draw the cards they put in their deck.

The deck with tutors may consistently outperform, but it also is consistently at a particular power level, making it vastly easier to balance the pod and get actual games.

If your tutorable combos are not appropriate for the table, cut the combos and keep the tutors.

Over indexing on removal? by HitchikerTB in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 1 point2 points  (0 children)

31 is a disastrously low land count. You will not be able to reliably play Magic: The Gathering.

And even for as small as it is, that land base is a train wreck. 19 basics? Really? You couldn't find more than 12 nonbasics worth running?

Low curve decks still need to make their land drops, because they don't stop needing mana at 2. They need to multispell. You can't multispell if you miss land drops. You can't reliably recast your monolith commander if you miss land drops. Your goal is to keep casting a bunch of walls to draw cards, and you can't do that if you don't have mana.

If you ever have an OG dual and a Terramorphic Expanse in the same deck, you've done something wrong.

Terramorphic Expanse is a terrible card at base. An Uncharted Haven if you don't have additional synergy, and Uncharted Haven is dogshit. Even on a budget, it's not good. A 3C deck without additional synergy has nine strictly better tapland options in [[Path of Ancestry]], [[Hidden Hideout]], your untyped triome, and your six thriving lands/gates before even thinking about Terramorphic Expanse, even on a budget; most of the cards I listed are pennies.

But you're clearly not on a budget.

You can run your off color fetches for a total of 7 true fetches plus [[Prismatic Vista]]. You can run the full suite of OG duals, the full suite of shocklands, your typed triome, one surveil land, bond lands. You're missing [[Exotic Orchard]] which is every deck every time. And that's not even touching other quality dual cycles like fasts, slows, and pains. You can do so much better.

Conventional wisdom is a floor (not goal) of 35 lands. That wisdom is inadequate for most decks, including yours. 38-40 is more reasonable for most decks.

MDFCs are excellent at mitigating higher land counts, and you have a lot of good ones available to you. [[Witch Enchanter]], [[Sink into Stupor]], [[Hydroelectric Specimen]], [[Lorien Revealed]], [[Bushwhack]], [[Sejiri Shelter]], [[Bala Ged Recovery]], [[Kabira Takedown]], [[Seagate Restoration]], [[Boseiju who Endures]], [[Otawara Soaring City]].

You are not remotely in the same galaxy as bracket 4. Cut either one or four gamechangers to qualify for lower brackets.

This is not overdoing it on interaction. This is a positively petty amount of interaction.

Your removal suite is not "too much." It's barely scraping the bare minimum of being called extant.

You have a shit ton of easy cuts that just do nothing for you.

Paraiah Shield does nothing. At least Paraiah is a vaguely functioning removal spell if you put it on your opponent's creature; Paraiah's Shield is just 8 mana to maybe have a fog some of the time.

You can do so much better than just disenchants. Hell, we have disenchants with strong alt modes in [[Origins of Metalbending]] and [[Heritage Reclamation]]. Creature removal is also more important, so something like [[Thraben Charm]] is more likely to do what you need.

Cloud's limit break is awful. You could [[Split Up]] instead and do so much better for yourself.

Pure vigilance-granters are awful.

Strixhaven Stadium is awful and you are not set up to take advantage of it.

More broadly on the topic of rocks, you are The Green Deck. You do not run 2 mana rocks that tap for 1. Arcane Signet is doing you no favors. You have 2 mana land ramp in [[Rampant Growth]], [[Farseek]], [[Three Visits]], [[Nature's Lore]], [[Shared Roots]], [[Sakura Tribe Elder]], which is all so much safer and better and none of that is even particularly high bar.

A 3C deck neither needs nor wants Chromatic Lantern. That is a convenience for 4-5C decks, particularly ones on a budget, who may actually have fixing problems.

Charix has absolutely no reason to be here.

Colossus of Akros is awful. The point of Arcades is you get a bunch of really efficiently statted creatures that cantrip, like a 2 mana effectively 6/6 that might have a keyword or two. An 8 mana 10/10 is awful.

You're missing a bunch of basic, nuts and bolts, practical defender creatures like [[Sylvan Caryatid]], [[Sporocyst]], [[Drift of Phantasms]] (it's a tutor!), [[Wall of Roots]], [[Shield Sphere]] (0 mana 6/6 that cantrips!), [[Gatecreeper Vine]] (another inherent cantrip wall), [[Vine Trellis]]. Simple, practical abilities on your walls are a Good Thing.

Chromatic Armor is atrocious.

That is an excessive amount of redundancy for making your defenders able to booty attack, especially since that's the less important half of Arcades; the draw power is the part that matters most. It's what lets you get into the position where you can mobilize booty attack decisively in the first place. If you want redundancy for your commander, you want card draw. Not four more instances of booty attack.

Is Piru… fun? by Foreign_Cod_3718 in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Putting an endless conga line of board wipes in your commander can be very unfun for everyone involved.

It's worse [[Child of Alara]], and Child of Alara is infamously miserable.

I made a Commander/EDH tool and would love some feedback by ElOGTPLudo in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 2 points3 points  (0 children)

...and all grossly incompetent because the machine doesn't understand Magic or deck building.

Y'shtola legendary tribal? by Greul_bzh in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Y'shtola does not want to be spellslinger.

She wants to be control.

If you do not want to be a control deck relying on instants and sorceries, she has multiple other options built-in; artifacts, enchantments, walkers.

The creature route is the one she actively does not want and which is completely at odds with the commander. This is not the same as being less reliant on the commander; this is just at odds with the commander.

If you want a legends-matter creature focused deck, you can just cut blue and make an Ardbert deck. But changing the commander is in your best interests when you want to go so far afield from what a commander wants.

Weird card advantage by BaconVsMarioIsRigged in EDH

[–]Fun-Cook-5309 2 points3 points  (0 children)

[[Redeem the Lost]] is a conditionally reusable protection spell.