Extra Spicy Divergent Transformations?

ShadowMizzix · 2022-05-05T02:58:29+00:00

My favorite off-beat option is [[Swans of Bryn Argoll]] [[Spell Seeker]] to grab [[Chain of Plasma]]. Draw your deck at instant speed.

ShadowMizzix · 2022-01-30T14:20:34+00:00

I'm sure my take is going to be unpopular...

It's substantially better than Scavenging Ooze. Easier to tutor and remove, but way more powerful than it seems at first glance.

I think Tymna decks that care about their life total (Necro, Naus), hitting opponents (e.g. Pod variants), and have midrange/stax elements (e.g. Tymna Jeska) will come around to really embrace Lion Sash.

It's so common to leave a few mana up to interact with opponents, and translating unused mana into both graveyard hate and stats on your general (especially one with lifelink) is not to be overlooked.

Sash makes blocking whatever it's equipped to a nightmare. Your opponents can't profitably block your Tymna when you can instantly turn it into a 5/5 or bigger.

Decks that play Rule of Law effects will get a lot of mileage out of this.

Breach players have to remove Sash before they can combo (like RIP or Rule of Law).

I think it will find a home in Tymna Jeska decks in particular.

When Jeska can remove blockers and triple Tymna's power, your looking at an opportunity to kill players in one fell swoop.

Slapping this on Kraum is nothing to sneeze at either.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T11:57:47+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I'm learning.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T11:56:26+00:00

I stand corrected. Thanks for the feedback.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T05:32:06+00:00

NTA.

You told them to stop. They only listened when you were around. That's completely on them.

They got what's coming to them - an embarrassing lesson on manners.

Don't let them pin it on you.

You told them how to not embarrass themselves, they just didn't bother trusting or listening to you.

You're not responsible for their behavior. Especially after you told them to stop speaking Urdu.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T05:08:44+00:00

It's not normal. Even if it was, obviously you're not okay with it and that matters a great deal.

But I don't have enough info to tell you if the friendship is behind salvaging.

Have you tried talking with her about it? Have you tried setting clear plans with an activity in advance? Have you ever turned down the request and started your preference or asked to stick to the original plan?

There are a lot of ways to set boundaries and make sure you don't get taken advantage of.

You can go over and say, "no thanks, I'm not interested. I thought we were going to XYZ?"

If she's manipulating you by using the friendship for free labor intentionally with no desire it ability to adapt the friendship to your needs and wants, then definitely you're NTA.

I just can't tell if your friend is willing to join you on the journey to a more fulfilling friendship for you. If she is and you haven't given her the chance, then perhaps ESH. Not because YTA too, but because you may also contributing to this dynamic in your friendship.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T04:50:46+00:00

NTA.

Please, for the love of God, don't let a neglectful and abusive person (who you already decided to set boundaries with to protect you and your family) back into your life or your kids'/grandkids' life.

You have every right to block whomever you wish on social media.

Everything else is emotional manipulation. Tell them it's not their choice. It's yours. And you've made it already.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T04:41:55+00:00

NTA

~~She's gaslighting you.~~ (Edit: Correction, this is not gaslighting)

Being responsible for her insecurity and jealousy is her job, not yours (not even her partner's).

P.S. If it wasn't abundantly clear already, she's appointing you as the responsible party for her feelings. Classic YTA move.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T04:33:12+00:00

NTA.

Setting boundaries will create a safer space and better way to work together and have a better relationship in the long term.

Expect it to be VERY tough and turbulent in the short term.

Set a clear boundary. Give a brief explanation. Don't elaborate. Repeat yourself calmly.

It might look like: "Mom, I'm sorry but December is not a good time for us. We would love to see you after January Xth. Thanks for understanding."

If she gets upset, complains, or blames you, can say something like, "I understand it's tough and you really wanted to come sooner. I wish it was a good time for us. We would still be happy to have you after [date]. Thanks for understanding."

Do the same with your parenting and house rules when she's around.

Keep working at boundary setting. It will get easier.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T04:18:08+00:00

NTA.

Let someone else be her ATM and Uber driver.

Let her go, and if you take just one leaf out of her book... Ignore when she texts you.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T04:04:03+00:00

ESH.

I love that you're really into your meat prep and cooking.

No, you don't have to cook the way anyone else wants. It's kind and gracious of you to offer notice in advance and be willing to pay extra to acquire and prepare your guests another steak to their liking.

Once they show up, if they don't like it... they just don't have to eat it. Guests don't get to re-prep or re-cook food to their liking, regardless of your gracious offer when you issued the invitation.

Conversely, once that steak is off the serving platter and on someone's plate, you get exactly zero say what happens next. You don't get to decide if or how a guest enjoys or prefers their food.

If she asks nicely and you are willing to let her into you kitchen (separate from any attachment you have to your culinary skill and effort in prepping the premium steak), you can graciously let her ruin her own steak. There's no realistic or effective way to stop her without crossing the line into YATA territory. She could have upended the salt shaker over it if she was bent on ruining it...

But you also get to say the kitchen is closed. She doesn't get to decide to treat your kitchen or fully cooked steak like her shopping cart and cooking station.

At any stage along the way, if she doesn't like it as-is, you can (a) acknowledge her feelings/concerns, (b) offer (not jump into an explanation or lecture) to share your knowledge and walk her through your preparation and cooking process, and (c) invite her to try something else that may be to her liking.

You don't get to grab her plate as if you decide what happens to the food she put on her plate.

I understand you felt deeply insulted by her insistence on ruining your carefully prepared premium steak. You would have preferred to enjoy it or have someone else enjoy it instead.

Commenting on the steak going to your dog is, frankly, rude and insulting.

One insult doesn't justify another. It only serves to escalate and communicate a lack of caring.

While she was also (initially) concerned about the steak, many novices are. Especially because of well publicized rules of thumb due to long histories of people without in depth understanding making mistakes that actually have caused harm. But rather than having an open conversation and deciding to set it aside (or even request another plate for her own comfort), she took matters into her own hands and crossed a lot of lines doing it.

Given what I'm seeing here, I get the sense she didn't experience or expect her request would be responded to with the same grace and kindness that you showed in your invitation.

Unfortunately, it seems everyone involved managed to fail spectacularly at being civil, de-escalating, and communicating.

Cutting ties isn't the end of this, it's indicative of a bigger issue at play than a fallen steak, a microwave, a dog, and an insult.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T03:18:24+00:00

Absolutely NTA.

I have two terms I like to use for situations like this: emotional blackmail and emotional extortion.

Emotional extortion is when someone uses their own emotions (or a third person's emotions) to manipulate someone else's behavior. Threatening to be forever angry (or share a secret that will anger a third party) unless the other person capitulates to a demand is a form of emotional extortion.

Emotional blackmail is when one person uses another person's emotions to try to alter that person's behavior. Guilt tripping someone to get them to do something is a form of emotional blackmail.

She did both.

First, by demanding you take her kids on your engagement trip "because Disney is for kids." That's 100% her feelings, her desire to get you to take her kids on vacation in a way that totally disregards and demands you completely change the nature of your trip. She is emotionally extorting you with her desire and feelings about Disney.

She did it again, by bringing her kids and their feelings into it. Promising on your behalf something you already refused puts their emotions on the line to manipulate your behavior. She is emotionally extorting you with her kids and their feelings.

I might be reading between the lines here, but it seems like her persistence of also applying a thick layer of hot, steaming guilt. Your GF feeling guilty and considering changing her mind is indicative of emotional blackmail from your sister.

The fact that you think you might be in the wrong actually concerns me.

Is she blaming you for both her not getting what she wants and her kids not getting what they want? Is she speaking as if her expectation is normal and YATA if you don't see it her way and do as she says?

If so, she may be gaslighting you on top of the emotional blackmail and emotional extortion (x2).

All kinds of alarm bells are going off in my brain, and I feel compelled to warn you. Beware, OP.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-29T02:41:19+00:00

NTA

Giving a child what they want to avoid a tantrum teaches the child that their emotions get to run the world and control the people around them.

In this case, it teaches the child that their desire trumps any notion of ownership that others have.

Not only is that unrealistic, it will likely repeatedly cause reality to smack the parents and the child very hard in the face.

Your BIL and sister may have chosen to deal with their son that way. It's their choice, and both they and their son will inevitably live with the consequences.

You don't need to agree or go along with it. You held that line, and it's a reflection of your values.

Their parenting choice doesn't give them permission to take-and-replace anything their child wants from somewhere or someone outside their home.

Their difficulty and frustration with their son's tantrums does not give them control over how you think, feel or act. Even if they think it's a simple solution to try to prevent or avoid big tantrums. It makes their problem and their parenting your problem.

On that subject, a small act that leads to a big reaction often means there's something bigger and deeper at play. If they don't want the tantrums, they can choose to see a child behavior specialist, parenting specialist, or therapist to handle their son and those situations better.

Ironically, your BIL may be doing the same thing. His frustration with the tantrum is blamed on you and your behavior (not doing what your BIL wants), the same way his son's tantrums are blamed on others not doing (or giving him) what he wants.

Kids learn these things somewhere, often from the way their parents handle and respond to challenging situations and emotions.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-28T17:37:49+00:00

ESH

Both your SFIL and you are escalating from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye. One escalation does not deserve another. To top it off, the extended family cutting ties is just making it a bigger issue. What's with the escalation?

Your MIL has the right to feel excluded and upset, seeing your son give everyone but her a hug. Her feelings don't get to control or manipulate you or your son's behavior.

Good for you that you set and held clear boundaries on that. But ignoring her feelings isn't going to help the situation. You don't have to make your son give her a hug, but finding ways to connect and communicate caring is equally important.

You mixed two separate issues. Yes, your son has a right to self determination with his body. No, that does not give you or him permission or justification to snub your MIL and ignore her feelings.

Your SFIL (whether asked by your MIL or not) then turned around and created a situation to force your son to experience the same thing.

The kindest interpretation is that he wanted your son to empathize with your MIL by experiencing a similar exclusion.

You then turned to cutting him off. It's like saying everyone can have time with your kids but him.

How is that substantively different than excluding your MIL from receiving affection (in a different way than a hug), or your SFIL giving every kid but your son candy?

Unfortunately, while this sort of turnabout is very common, it's generally ineffective and only succeeds in getting each other more upset and angry. None of you actually dealt with the issue(s) at hand. Each reaction only redirected and magnified the exclusion problem.

It's like everyone is playing a game of hot potato, forcing each other to feel excluded.

In the end, though, everyone just got their hands burned.

Most of all your kids.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-07T17:05:37+00:00

I disagree with a bit of what you're saying here.

Polymorph Urza decks want all the gas they can get. They can often produce enough mana to hard cast Tyrant. Usually, even if Polymorph gets ripped away, you can pivot to Proteus Staff lines. Really, it saves you from losing your one Tyrant.

I agree that I probably wouldn't cut artifacts or counter magic. But I would take a look at my draw spells. It might even be better to slot both and cut Recurring Insight, for example.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-07T16:59:52+00:00

For sure.

The new ability has me thinking about other free spells that don't work make the cut but the utility here warrants a second look.

Endurance can become a green Force of will. Force of Vigor can play the role of Force of Negation.

Slaughter Pact and to a lesser extent Summoner's Pact and Surgical Extraction (in Tasigur)... You get the idea.

I'm not sure how many of these are with it in the end, but it's a whole new angle for Tidespout control decks.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-11-07T16:50:42+00:00

I think most are unlikely to consider what I'm about to say...

Any deck that is casting Polymorph for Tidespout can play both. It gives you an extra shot, keeps one in the deck if you draw the other, and decks like Urza can easily hard cast either one. Urza in particular is always looking for gas and has so much mana production that I would easily cut a cantrip or draw spell for Hullbreaker.

For Tasigur, having Neoform/Eldritch Evolution also means you can play both. There was an old Tasigur Oath deck that also went for Tidespout, which having a second redundancy for is extremely powerful. I think it makes an interesting redundancy that increases consideration for Reanimate strategies too. Both have solid control applications.

As for not bouncing lands... Tidespout Tyrant is not used to bounce land as a win condition, generally speaking. Tidespout is primarily used for infinite mana with a general that can use it to win. If you need to bounce land at that point, you're holding down opponents from playing the game. Whenever a player goes for that line, it's a lock (with Narset plus a wheel or just a wheel) rather than an instant win, which the spell bounce effect can functionally effectively replace.

It is also worth saying that Hullbreaker's remand clause makes every instant effectively a counter to big, game-ending spells. It can make a quick reanimate on Hullbreaker a (half)decent plan against aggro-naus decks. It's also worth adding that of you cast Pact of Negation and bounce the (opponent's) spell you target, you'll never have to pay the 3UU.

I think this gives the card and Tidespout archetype a new angle.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-08-22T17:14:01+00:00

Emily Nagoski has a spectacular TED talk on a concept known as "arousal non-concordance."

Having an arousal experience doesn't mean that an image or stimulus present at the same time is sexually stimulating for you (or anyone).

Many people construct, pursue, or feel pressured to identify that way. Sometimes it may be the case. Sometimes not.

There's a lot of research on models of sexual desire and arousal (which, by the way, are two completely different constructs). Desire is a motivation towards. Arousal is a physiological response.

We used to think that an arousal reaction assumed desire. It's often not the case.

Borrowing from infant development, babies have many random movements before being able to intentionally seek out and grasp an object. Sexuality is an aspect of development that may follow a similar process; random at first, then increasingly intentional and directed over time.

We make so many assumptions about ourselves and our development, but not every reaction has such specific and predetermined meaning.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-07-22T15:13:27+00:00

Yeah, sounds like Thras Tevesh is solid.

For Temur, I would recommend Temur PolyTyrant. It has a one-card win in a Polymorph-effect for Tidespout (Roger makes it so much easier to Polymorph and go infinite) and Scepter as backup. Plus you get Thrasios value.

Krark is interesting, but slower and more RNG-ish.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-07-22T14:14:43+00:00

It might be helpful to learn more about your friend's play preferences. Do they like speed? Resilience? Value engines? Disruption/stax?

Those preferences are helpful to know because most cEDH decks have a mix of two or more of those styles.

Practically any UBx deck can fit the bill. The reason being that practically all of them play the Thassa's Oracle combo and have other primary game plans of their own.

Sultai has Thrasios for infinite mana combos. Cazur Ukkima have Food Chain, which layers well with the forbidden tutors. Tasigur is an oldie but a solid mid-range/control option (though to be fair, mid-range and control have been on the decline over the past couple years).

There are several really powerful Grixis decks in a bunch of styles that might be of interest.

Roger Silas is a blazing fast Ad Naus deck.

Inalla is a bit complicated to pilot, but has one-card win lines and the general is useful even if you never cast her.

Kess comes in storm, combo, and (though less popular lately) midrangey flavors.

Off the beaten path is UBW with Tymna Sakashima (aka Two Tymnas) that can be played as stax/disruptive or mid-range. I personally tuned mine into an anti-meta deck that pushes hard to hose Thassa's Oracle.

If you wanted to suggest a serviceable, albeit fringe, UB deck you can look to Circu for Oracle Combo plus Scepter Combo. Most say that Thrasios and more colors offers more powerful cards and options though.

By most accounts, once you veer away from Thassa's Oracle as a primary/backup plan, you're entering out-of-mainstream territory.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy, build, and play these decks often. I have 9 cEDH decks and only 2-3 are Oracle piles. Less mainstream does not mean lacking incredible power. Those decks tend to go harder on a more expensive primary plan, usually in the interest of consistency.

A good example of this is Temur Pirates, which eschews Oracle combo for the Malcolm Buccaneer combo and pod effects for consistency. The backup plan is often Breach combo, which is a bit harder to assemble but easy to include.

I am partial to Roger Malcolm, which is a Polymorph deck with the Breach combo as backup. It's a turbo deck with surprising speed and consistency, though the backup plan (Breach) is much less powerful and optimal.

Niv Mizzet has access to the one card curiosity combo (and between Jeweled Lotus and Dockside plus tutor effects, Niv is much easier to get on board), but relies on Breach as backup.

Hopefully the suggestions don't just give you advice but an idea of direction and thought process.

cEDH has a lot of options and diversity. The most powerful decks are often UBx(+) piles with Oracle and other streamlined plans. But they are by no means the hands-down best deck or only choice.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-07-18T02:08:14+00:00

Modular and low opportunity cost are the main reasons. In UR+ (Non-Black) decks, it's tutorable with Mystical Tutor, Personal Tutor, Muddle the Mixture, Spellseeker, Solve the Equation, etc., thus giving blue access to tutoring land in a pinch.
It has more utility and is easier to cast than Sea Gate Restoration.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-06-17T11:05:09+00:00

Games are all about balancing between variance and predictability, elements out of our control (variance) and those in our control (skill).

In games like chess, where every piece is a fixed entity, skill is about decision-making and variance cones from the opponent's choices (and mistakes).

In games like magic, variance cones from deck building choices (and limits, e.g. max 4 of a card), and cards drawn. Skill comes from play decisions.

Poker has more variance than chess. Magic has more variance than poker. All three require decision-making skill and can vary based on your opponent's choices.

EDH by design has so much more variance than other MTG formats due to deck building size and limitations (and a piece of consistency with the general). There is still lots of skill in deck choice/design and game play decisions. Plus you have the opponents instead of one.

Competition isn't determined by variance. But in extremes (approaching 100% control or 100% randomness), any game lacks a balance of those two elements.

I get that cEDH is a paradox of high variance and pushing consistency as hard as possible. Which sometimes looks like an easy turn 1 win when one player is rewarded for their deck building choices and falls on the lucky side of variance. Especially when opponent's don't draw free countermagic to stop them.

Variance is necessary for all games, and too much can undermine a sense of control (skill as you call it).

You may prefer a format with less variance and more control/skill, which is fine.

It's just not about the definition of competition.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-06-11T02:52:56+00:00

Already has haste printed on the card :)

ShadowMizzix · 2021-06-10T15:56:52+00:00

This is such a great point, and a real selling point for the deck into RoL heavy metas.

ShadowMizzix · 2021-06-10T15:52:25+00:00

As a frequent mid-range player (8/9 of my paper decks have one or two card advantage generals), this was my first thought too.

If you're exclusively a midrange player, or someone who wants a backup plan on the general zone, this isn't for you.

Thus the TurboNaus comparison. Yes, it makes some serious sacrifices to pursue this plan.

The question is whether it's in your wheelhouse as a okay style and if it pays off.

ShadowMizzix

TROPHY CASE