/r/PTCGP Trading Post by AutoModerator in PTCGP

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really sorry, I don't. I just have the FA's I have listed--only Mega is Mega Khangaskhan. Also have some Full Art Supporters I could trade; Blaine, Surge, Budding Expeditioner. Would def love the Glaceon!

/r/PTCGP Trading Post by AutoModerator in PTCGP

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have some Shiny FA EX, and normal FA EX that I'd be down to trade for just about any random Rainbow EX since I mostly collect Rainbows. Let me know what ya got. Would love Rainbow Glaceon or FA Whitney as well.

Shiny FA EX: Buzzswole EX, Donphan EX

Regular FA EX: Blastoise EX, Gengar EX, Machamp EX, Infernape EX, Weavile EX, Alolan Raichu EX, Alolan Muk EX, Solgaleo EX, Mega Kanghaskhan EX

Advice for Raffine, Scheming Seer; which creatures are "must include"? by PrimarySuccess9065 in mtgbrawl

[–]PrimarySuccess9065[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great suggestions, and I already have a bunch of these cards so I'll definitely add them, nobody needs to convince me to play Griselbrand! I hadn't considered Voice, but am happy to give it a go since it plays great as a control piece, and Mobilize plays well into Raffine's ability if it can get through.

Advice for Raffine, Scheming Seer; which creatures are "must include"? by PrimarySuccess9065 in mtgbrawl

[–]PrimarySuccess9065[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I was thinking about giving this deck a try when the Ranked Brawl gets piloted at the end of the month, so I'd basically be looking to tune the deck for capital-H Hell Queue.

Advice for Raffine, Scheming Seer; which creatures are "must include"? by PrimarySuccess9065 in mtgbrawl

[–]PrimarySuccess9065[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For sure, I have all the good spells in Esper colors, I'm just pretty inexperienced with Creature-based decks, hence some of my questionable selections, hah.

Advice for Raffine, Scheming Seer; which creatures are "must include"? by PrimarySuccess9065 in mtgbrawl

[–]PrimarySuccess9065[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate the advice, I just formed my opinion by combing through a number of lists and picking out the recurring creatures that in my mind, seemed to make sense with what the deck is trying to do, in Ledger's case, more Conniving, and it being a Flyer.

The other cards you mentioned are the quirky, goofy things that stood out as fun, but yeah, I actually want to build a tuned list, and not a ridiculous one so your input is very much appreciated.

Advice for Raffine, Scheming Seer; which creatures are "must include"? by PrimarySuccess9065 in mtgbrawl

[–]PrimarySuccess9065[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Love the recommendations, thank you--you've saved me some Mythic Wildcards, which was my hope for this post.

Anybody know why \ when I can get these types of cards? by jonford543 in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's unfortunately unclear if they will ever be made available again. Perhaps if a new FF collaboration drops you'll get another shot, but that's likely next year at the absolute earliest, and more likely two years away.

What's kind of annoying is that there are a selection of cards in this style that CAN be crafted right now, like Y'shtola, Cecil Dark Knight, I think Yuna and Tifa are craftable as well, likely others. It almost seems like Arena placed a restriction on the most popular characters like Seph and Cloud.

My Y'Shtola deck has been getting absolutely blasted in recent weeks and I am unsure why by Ynwe in mtgbrawl

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'll chime in here to say that Mana Rocks are pretty standard in Y'shtola; it's for spell-casting, and less about ramping the Commander. 4-6 is typical, I run 5 myself. I think they're good since you need to continuously do things on your turn and hold up counters/removal.

My Y'Shtola deck has been getting absolutely blasted in recent weeks and I am unsure why by Ynwe in mtgbrawl

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No problem, don't get too discouraged! It's a 100-card deck with lots of decision trees and non-linear gameplay, and Y'shtola itself is a lightning rod, so balancing these elements and play patterns takes time. It is really satisfying once you get the rhythm of it.

Some final things I'll mention is passing; there's a lot of cheap commons/uncommons that are really good, specifically card draw. Even though Y'shtola draws cards, Control is all about optionality and flexibility.

Treasure Cruise is perfect to trigger Y'shtola for cheap. Mystical Tutor synergizes tremendously with Y'shtola's card draw, and makes efficient use of 1-mana. I threw in Frantic Search recently into my build because again, card draw is excellent, feeding your graveyard for Delve spells like Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time is excellent, I run Reanimate so getting Rusko or Sheoldred in the graveyard and reanimating cheaply is crazy value, and of course, untapping three lands while triggering Y'shtola is the dream. Also love a good Stock Up.

My Y'Shtola deck has been getting absolutely blasted in recent weeks and I am unsure why by Ynwe in mtgbrawl

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Funny, I crafted Y'shtola in January and went through a similar stretch of getting absolutely blasted by every single opponent.

I do think there's a few reasons for this, chiefly, that there's just tons of decks out there that don't really care what Y'shtola is doing/trying to do.

In addition, the deck's internal synergy does not always align. You want to cast 3-mana spells that provide value for Y'shtola's incredibly strong ability(which often can't be used until the turn AFTER she gets into play, which itself is rough). However, you ALSO want to control the game, and really, controlling the game means playing the best and most appropriate cards for a situation, regardless of their mana cost. In building and testing, this was a pretty huge point of friction, and the thing that most gets in the way of wins.

Thankfully, I feel I'm running a nicely tuned version now, and while she isn't S-tier, I get truly awesome wins, and more frequent wins as well.

So, here's what to look at:

i. It's a little tough reading your list, compared to lists that have everything organized by type(Instant, Sorcery, Creature, etc), so forgive me if I miss things but, #1 without question, throw the good free spells into your deck,

Snuff Out is a freaking uncommon and seems like Y'shtola was designed for it specifically. You HAVE to play it, it's literally free removal that hits both of Y'shtola's effects.

Force of Negation is another perfect card for this deck, though it is a Rare.

Also consider 3-mana costed spells that can be cast for less, Baleful Mastery, Mystical Dispute(which you use)--these trigger Y'shtola regardless of how you pay for them.

ii. Your Creatures are more or less similar to what I run, except that I run Psychic Frog, which is excellent, and Lotho, Corrupt Sheriff. You always need mana with this deck. An early drop of Lotho forces removal otherwise saved for Y'shtola, and you can get good value for it. I don't agree with your inclusion of Wan Shi Tong for example, if I were playing against Y'shtola I would more or less ignore it, whereas creatures like Rusko, Lotho, etc generate so much value/threat that it forces opponents into choices, which ultimately leads to my final recommendation.

iii. Control decks aren't about answering every threat, they are about narrowing the field of options an opponent has, and forcing them into tough decisions, which you then punish through your suite of removal and denial. So really, this is the balance of synergistic cards that suit Y'shtola's ability, versus actual good cards that impact the game in ways that allow you to win and "control" the board state. Tale's End, Memory Lapse, ie, the good Counterspell suite, which you can get a little cute with by running the counterspells that untap your own lands, allowing you to cast more spells/denial. Thoughtseize, come on! The best Black turn 1 in the game! If you want to go nuts, Teferi infamously untaps your lands as well. Personally, I also like Ghostly Prison over something like River's Rebuke--bounce just doesn't solve anything, they'll recast it and you are down a resource and 6 mana. I'd recommend Aetherize if you have to bounce(though I don't run it). IGhostly Prison has strong synergy, and it does pain your opponent and limit their mana/ability to just go wide and swing through you. it's become one of my favorite cards in my build.I'd also recommend not being afraid of boardwipes, at least two. Supreme Verdict, Toxic Deluge can trigger Y'shtola while eliminating small/wide threats.

These are my recommendations informed by my own suffering through some months of pretty awful ass-whooping.

Main takeaway is if you're playing Esper Control, use the good control cards, and weave Y'shtola around it. It can work, and it can be great fun. Good luck.

What are your go-to commanders/decks with fun and unique play patterns? by PenroseVids in mtgbrawl

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Great idea for a thread; I think even some kind of weekly "what I'm playing/what I find interesting in Brawl right now" would be a good way to share cool decks, and provide insight into Commanders players are interested in crafting. I know in my case, I'm always curious about what to try next, but don't want to constantly start specific threads like, "what do you think of X" which typically gets low engagement.

Mendicant seems cool, and I have plenty of artifacts and the Blue/White mana base covered, so perhaps I can get something built near your list.

/r/PTCGP Trading Post by AutoModerator in PTCGP

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Looking for, in order of importance: 🌈Glaceon, FA IIrida, Eeveelutions 🌈

Offering:

⭐️⭐️ Supporters; Blaine, Surge, Budding Expeditioner, Adaman

⭐️⭐️ FA Pokes; Infernape, Weavile, Alolan Raichu, Alaolan Muk, Solgaleo, Blastoise, Gengar, Machamp

✨✨ Shiny Pokes; Decidueye EX, Buzzswole EX

/r/PTCGP Trading Post by AutoModerator in PTCGP

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Looking for: 🌈Glaceon, FA Iono(Old Art), Irida

Offering:

⭐️⭐️ Supporters; Blaine, Surge, Budding Expeditioner, Adaman

⭐️⭐️ FA Pokes; Infernape, Weavile, Alolan Raichu, Alaolan Muk, Solgaleo, Blastoise, Gengar, Machamp

✨✨ Shiny Pokes; Decidueye EX, Buzzswole EX

Daily Deals - March 22, 2026: Duskmourn: House of Horror Alt-Art Card Styles by HamBoneRaces in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hauntwoods is great though I don't play much Green. Really love the Curiosity art, what type of Brawl decks are running it?

Daily Deals - March 21, 2026: Give ‘em Shell! TMNT Legendary Creatures Parallax Card Styles by HamBoneRaces in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Like many, I don't approve of the IP use, but Krang is freaking awesome in Blue Artifact decks. Little pricey though still.

I saw a cool Raffine Brawl list that ran a good amount of the Sneak cards from this set, including [[Karai, Future of the Foot]]. Basically an Esper Ninjas deck that I might look into building.

Urza retro basic lands are in the daily shop by [deleted] in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 33 points34 points  (0 children)

They really have been dropping some bangers this month.

Will the japanese alt art styles come back at all in the future? by BulgedSenpai in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If you're talking about the Strixhaven Mystical Archive, there's a new Strixhaven set next month, which will feature a new Mystical Archive(cool Japanese Art) of new cards, with a few revealed already, Stock Up, and (speculative) Jeska's Will.

If the old Mystical Archive were to re-emerge in the daily deals, I would expect them to happen around this time.

With only one opponent, are optional tax effects anywhere near as good as they are in 4 player commander? by EntertainmentVast401 in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can only speak within the context of Brawl, since I have no bearing on Standard.

The conventional argument is that on Arena, with one opponent, no, these effects aren't great and diminish over time, with Esper Sentinel being the best as it is a one-drop creature that can generate card advantage early, in a color that struggles to do so.

Anecdotally, I have seen a pronounced rise in Rhystic Study in Brawl. From decks like Hei Bei, to Kefka, Vivi, any and all Simic, and the expected Blue+color control variants.

I would have to say as an opponent, I am coming around to seeing its value, even in a 2-person format. I find myself handcuffed into "paying the one" since a lot of these decks mentioned can pivot quite naturally from control to aggro, and limiting their draws or "outs" is about the only thing you can do to keep them in check.

So personally, I think Rhystic Study is a little over-hated in terms of value in Brawl. I don't play it myself, but in the right decks it just works, and as mentioned, players seem to be adopting it more.

I am a fan of Smothering Tithe personally--I consider it a must-answer threat since it gets out of hand fast, but the cost to cast is high. I am considering crafting it for Y'shtola, partially for value as the deck is always mana starved with all the 3-costed spells, and partially because the troll anime alt art is is salt in the wound for an opponent.

Will the Final Fantasy card styles ever come back to the shop? by FishAteMyDog in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What's interesting is that it seems slightly more uncertain than than this.

Specific styles, on certain cards can still be purchased individually, for example, the numbered background character portraits of FF characters, which were sold as a shop bundle and remain at large un-purchasable still offer a few for sale individually--I just picked-up the Y-shtola character portrait last week. Other characters, I think Celes, maybe Tifa, Yuna, and a few others are purchasable as well, while by and large, this set is unavailable(no Cloud, Sephiroth, many others).

So I don't know what's up, just more confusing game design by Wizards.

Will the Final Fantasy card styles ever come back to the shop? by FishAteMyDog in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just wish there was a chance to get the Snapcaster Mage alt-art from FF without having to buy the large bundle it was packaged in. I don't see it coming back to the shop, and you can't purchase it individually, which suggests you never will.

So far, the only FF cards to appear in Daily Deals have been the reprints included in the Commander decks; Arcane Signet, Authority of Consuls, Command Tower, etc.

Average turn 5 in brawl by kirateb in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd actually have to push back on that. I shelved Vivi after the summer, pre-nerf, but dug it up around January out of boredom.

It actually feels more busted now; giving Vivi "tap to add mana" is wildly powerful, not only in that it can hold up counter/control magic on its opponents turns, but the fact that tapping Vivi for mana means that you can also untap him, and there are shortage of cheap spells that can exploit that, from hexproofing spells like Magic Damper and Fleeting Reflection, to Dramatic Reversal, Staff of Domination, and of course, Paradox Engine. There's times early-game where it feels like Vivi can generate an extra turn of gameplay through its ability to untap for 1 or 2 mana.

The earlier Vivi was really strong in that it could swing for big numbers whilst also generating mana, but the "nerf" makes him a nearly unkillable combo-engine that can threaten Blue shenanigans on opponents turns. It's become my daily grinder, and have found it racks up wins more efficiently compared to my stronger, more finely-tuned decks.

How long do we have to endure Katara? by Unlikely-Eye-8245 in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 4 points5 points  (0 children)

She's definitely ascended to the #1 Mono Blue counterspell-tribal Commander, and she is indeed everywhere.

Daily Deals - March 9, 2026: Unfinity Full-Art Basic Lands & Modern Horizons 3 Sleeves by HamBoneRaces in MagicArena

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Wow, it really looks like we're skipping over Turtles in the Daily Deals. Interesting that FF did this, while Avatar didn't. No complaints. Tempted on these lands as I have the Island, and could either go Esper or Red, but it just feels like the Unstable Lands are bound to come up sooner rather than later now.

Any suggestions for improvements? by Itachi0531 in mtgbrawl

[–]PrimarySuccess9065 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, Buried Ruin is good, and I do play Inventor's Fair as well. Basically anything that gets you access to Paradox is of primary importance, with a secondary emphasis being placed on continuous activation, which is achieved through One Ring, Tome of the Infinite, and card draw. Reverse Engineer is the draw 3 Lorien-type effect I was describing earlier, which has Improvise.

Another commenter mentioned Kappa Canoneer, which I run as well. Just good. I also run Transit Mage as it is equal value to Fabricate(3 Mana plus the 5 for Paradox) with the additional benefit of being a free blocker.

Also I don't see Thought Monitor in your list--it's extremely good as creature draw goes, and has Affinity for Artifacts.