MTG Standard General

MTG Standard General.

If you play standard: Is UW Cycling the new secret weapon of the meta? While it's far from a "secret" anymore after claiming multiple top 5 finishes at pro level events, I've yet to see many people running it. Then again, at the shops I play at most people play Temur, followed by Ramunap Red, then UB control. They seem to think creating a top tier deck makes them a good player.

If you don't play standard: Why don't you play standard? Most people I meet that don't play it say it's because its too expensive to be continuously updating their decks.

>muLtiPLe tP fIVe fINIshes aT pRO levEl eVEnts

How bad are meta decks at local events? I recently got back into Magic after not having played for a very long time (whenever fifth dawn was) and wanted to go to locals, but I'm afraid of getting my shit pushed in by meta memers. My deck is a relativity budget Tezzeret deck. I don't have cards like fatal push

Every event is filled with people playing competitive decks. If you are the type of retard who is going to take a bad deck to a competition and then complain about "meta decks" when you lose, don't come.

its jank

if you pay money to enter a magic event, everyone is playing a meta deck or a deck that is predatory to meta decks they're forecasting to be at that event.

blogging!
>be death & taxes guy
>playing red deck against fedora control
>opponent resolves approach, goes to 14
>untap, eternalize khenra, hit you for 4. goes to 10
>opponent kills my doggo again and digs hard
>untap, cast crasher, hit you for 3. opponent at 7.
>opponent untaps, grins hard, double palm-mash taps out and flops approach on the table.
>not so fast kid. pic related.
>fedora control ragequits at 7 life.
i didn't get to cast my glorybringer and actually kill him, but this is somehow more satisfying. red deck is real fuckin' good man.

I wasn't complaining about meta decks, I was just curious about how much of some people's local scene they make up. There's nothing inherently wrong with meta decks or their popularity. In any competitive game there will be a meta and people who want to win will adhere to that meta.

Thanks for the info, that's sounds like an exciting victory for you, I'm still learning a lot of the new cards, but that one looks satisfying as fuck.

Just for the record, that's now how competitive magic works. The cards that are good to use are not "the meta". Everyone uses the best cards they can get and the best cards are the most expensive, that isn't the metagame. The metagame in mtg revolves around knowing what people are playing regardless of how good those decks are and using your deck design and sideboard to play around and beat them.

Yeah, you're right on that, it's hard as a new player to see beyond the cards themselves when it comes to what the meta means in mtg. I feel like the definition you present works the best when you assume that everyone has access to the best cards. Can the casual player have a good time at their local store without those cards? I know the common response is "if you can't afford that then don't play", I guess what I'm asking is there a place beyond the kitchen table for casual players? Mtg online lacks a lot of the social fun that comes from the game.

>I guess what I'm asking is there a place beyond the kitchen table for casual players
At tournaments, no, there isn't sadly. That's the nature of tournaments. You can be more of a casual player at FNM, but don't expect to win a lot since most of your opponents will be more serious players. The only format that is strongly likely to be casual is Commander and even that has a large contingent of serious players who pour a lot of money and effort into winning. It's the nature of the game, honestly.

If you want to casually play, your best bet is to get some like-minded friends and play at a restaurant or someone's house in comfort with good food and drink and make a nice night out of it. FLGS games are likely to involve players who want to win at any cost, so if you don't like that, don't play at FLGS's.

Yeah meeting up with friends is truly the best way to enjoy the game. I was just asking my questions because we were considering going to a local event, but none of us have a truly competitive deck. So I guess that wouldn't be wise. Thanks for the info, we'll probably stay home until we decide to get more competitive (or not).

If I play an instant that deals enough damage to a creature to destroy it when my opponent summons it, does the target creature's ability not take effect if it has a "when x enters the battlefield" condition? Or does it still go through?
I'm very new to MTG and couldn't find anything online regarding this.

Abilities are like grenades. It doesn't matter if you shoot the guy that threw it, the grenade is still going to go off.

>Then again, at the shops I play at most people play Temur, followed by Ramunap Red, then UB contro
Thank scarab god I'm still an hipster for playing Esper mummies

When the creature enters the battlefield, it's ETB triggered ability goes on the stack.

You may play an instant before that ability resolves, but it will still happen, assuming of course you didn't counter it.

In the case of prosperous pirates- once it hits the battlefield, your opponent will create two treasure tokens. you may respond with Vraska's Contempt (Instant - Exile target creature or planeswalker. You gain 2 life.) which will exile the creature before the tokens enter the battlefield, but that's all that happens.

To stop ETB effects, try something like Disallow (Instant - Counter target spell, activated ability, or triggered ability. (Mana abilities can't be targeted.) or Tocatli Honor Guard (Creature - Creatures entering the battlefield don't cause abilities to trigger.)

What do you think about Ascend?

I'm probably gonna use one of those cards since I'm using a token deck, but I don't think this will be usable in a lot of decks.

>Why don't you play standard?
1.Because I get attached to my decks. I did so since casual days. It's one to update your deck or tune it because of banned or limited cards, it's a whole other thing to deal with the way standard rotates.
2. I find standard as a format boring as far as complexity of an average Magic game goes in it. The fact that WotC wants to appeal to new players through standard is why they keep it pretty low in terms of complexity, as well as for quite awhile now keep it as "hugbox" as possible. As I prefer control and combo decks, I simply can't find Standard appealing.
3. I play since 2003, I've established friends, playgroups and a card pool for Eternal formats, though I've got out of Legacy after SDT ban.
4. If and when I want to experience new sets - I draft. Drafting itself compensates the lack of complexity in new sets.
5. This is more of a rant point tho: I'd rather get disappointed only when WotC bans or limits a card stupidly than almost each time a new set comes out.

I started playing when ixalan came out, i have been playing at noobs leagues and doing very well. I built a deck similar to weenie white (vampires, oketra's monument, Anointed Procession, angel of invention, vanquisher's banner) with black spells (fatal push, vraskas contempt, eliminate the competition)

I want to start playing on more serious leagues now but im not sure if i should go with a meta deck or stick with my own made.

I dont have my deck right here so i cant post the whole deck

Rip Standard on Veeky Forums
I guess most us are having fun or have nothing to say.


Merry Xmas my friends

Played a gift deck featuring drake haven before rotation (UR featuring bane of bala ged) it put in work.

Barely played since rotation but for the championship I have a UB tresuret list. It's control heavy and probably not meta relevant anymore but it did well in October.

Thoughts? It's been doing pretty good on xmage, but on the flip side literally every other standard deck on xmage is some Approach deck. I noticed it's a little weak to ramp and pretty bad against UW God-Pharaoh's Gift, but otherwise seems pretty solid.

How are you doing against more aggro decks like Temur energy and Rumanap red?
I keep 2 authority in the main, yet I never won.

What's a better sideboard option for sultai energy, 2-of aethersphere harvester or deathgorge scavenger? Local meta is mostly energy, ranumap red and cycling drakes. Harvester is a good defensive option with lifelink and also can block glorybringer, but without deathgorge scavengers I have no GY interaction.

Just play UW control with no approach or drake haven; GotT and torrential are enough to close a game out, 5-6 wraths (2-3 fumigates and 3 settle) can deal with every creature MU and your sideboard can have a mix of a few specific hate cards depending on your local meta. Plus your opponents will think you must have approach (or if you run a full 4 censor/illumination and some number of renewed faith you might trick them into prepping for drake haven) and side wrong. Theres really no reason to not play UW as a regular control deck unless you're a real memer though, its strong enough to beat all of the creature matchups and if you run censor/supreme will/disallow as your counters you can easily win game 1 against approach as well, and then side up some negates.

IMO Ascend is to EDH what Revolt is to modern
Could be fun/abusable in Standard, but is a hell of a lot easier/better in EDH/modern. Very nice

Playing MonoWhite Monument/Vampires, currently tuned against Control, Energy, and Ramunap Red matchups. Usually 2-1, 3-0, or 2-0-1 at local FNM.


Gift is a rough thing to play against and I've never gone up against a U/W Cycling deck, though I'm concerned it'll eat me alive.

The goal is to win at the Game Day event this Saturday, hopefully a small one.