Sunday, July 30, 2017

Wizards restricting metagame data

By now, ten of the top-performing decklists from Leagues were chosen at random and revealed to the public. However, Wizards decided to reduce the total number of decklists being presented per day from ten to five, and each of these decklists will be randomly selected with the caveat that each list will be at least ten cards different from every other list. In fact you will see five different archetypes, it does not even matter if a deck is the most popular in a league — it will show up a maximum of one time.

Wizards cited a couple of reasons for this change. First and foremost, Wizards believes that publishing too many deck lists from Magic Online causes the format to become stale and solved too quickly. Wizards stated: "Under this system, new and unique decks are far more likely to appear, and it is W goal to foster that creativity and innovation rather than stifle it." and added: "Since we have been presenting a random selection of top-performing decks, even if a deck doesn't have a particularly high win rate, it can appear to be extremely dominant if it's widely played. With only this information, it's not possible to disentangle win percentage and metagame percentage. This can lead, and at times has led, to feedback cycles where a deck appears more dominant than it would otherwise, which leads to an even greater percentage of play."

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Changes

Some changes:

  • No more Game Days. We get a Store Championship at the end of the set's season, instead. Each participant will receive a promo card from next set. Additionally, store champion playmats and program-exclusive deck boxes await those who emerge victorious.
  • FNM promos are replaced with foil double-sided tokens from the current set.
  • Starting with Ixalan, the Standard Showdown booster prizes now come with a foil promo land in each booster. Those lands will feature new or highly desirable art from Magic's history.
  • A new event - Magic Open House, you will get a foil full-art promo card from the upcoming set there. For instance, you will get an Ixalan card a week prior to the Prerelease, on September 16–17.
  • Promo cards given to participants of Leagues. First one along with Ixalan.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Hour of Devastation: draft archetypes

U/R Spells
Bloodwater Entity, Enigma Drake, Cryptic Serpent, Warfire Javelineer, Firebrand Archer, Blur of Blades, Unsummon, Spellweaver Eternal, Aerial Guide, Riddleform, Thormed Moloch, Magmaroth, Strategic Planning, Supreme Will, Tragic Lesson, Crash Through, Kindled Fury, Galestrike, Magma Spray, Winds of Rebuke, Censor, Essence Scatter, Hieroglyphic Illumination,

B/G -1/-1 counters
Obelisk Spider, Decimator Beetle, Lethal Sting, Torment of Venom, Ifnir Deadlands, Baleful Ammit, Soulstinger, Cartouche of Ambition, Festering Mummy, Ruthless Sniper, Splendid Agony, Crocodile of the Crossing, Defiant Greatmaw, Exemplar of Strength, Ornery Kudu, Stinging Shot, Grasping Dunes, Banewhip Punisher, Tenacious Hunter, Nest of Scarabs, Hapatra's Mark, Quarry Hauler, Shed Weakness

R/W Aggro Exert
Honored Crop-Captain, Resolute Survivors, Gust Walker, Rhet-Crop Spearmaster, Tah-Crop Elite, Ahn-Crop Crasher, Battlefield Scavenger, Emberhorn Minotaur, Nef-Crop Entangler, Trueheart Twins, Dauntless Aven, Mummy Paramount, Burning-Fist Minotaur, Defiant Khenra, Firebrand Archer, Bloodrage Brawler, Act of Heroism, Djeru's Renunciation, Blur of Blades, Kindled Fury, Might Leap, Trial of Solidarity.

U/G Ramp
River Hoopoe, Weaver of Currents, ramp spells, Bitterbow Sharpshooters, Devotee of Strength, Quarry Beetle, Rampaging Hippo, Sifter Wurm, Ominous Sphinx, Striped Riverwidner,
in a ramp deck you easilly may splash third color if you opened a bomb

W/B Zombies
Unravelling Mummy, Wayward Servant, Accursed Horde, Marauding Boneslasher, Mummy Paramount, Unconventional Tactics, Binding Mummy, In Okertra's Name, Time to Reflect, Lord of Accursed, Embalmer's Tools, Merciless Eternal, Lurking Rotbeast, Khenra Eternal, Carrion Screecher, Sunscourge Champion, Disposal Mummy, Dutiful Servants, Wretched Camel, Blighted Bat, Cursed Minotaur, Doomed Dissenter, Festering Mummy, Gravedigger, Stir the Sands, Fan Bearer,

UW Embalm/Eternalize
Aven Wind Guide, Farm/Market, Steadfast Sentinel, Sunscourge Champion, Proven Combatant, Sinuous Striker, Oketra's Attendant, Sacred Cat, Trueheart Duelist, Unwavering Initiate, Aven Initiate, Tah-Crop Skrimisher, Labyrinth Guardian,


U/B Cycling/Prowess
Shadowstorm Vizier, Vile Manifestation, Consign/Manifestation, Cunning Survivor, Ominous Sphinx, Grisly Survivor, Faith of the Devouted, Horror of the Broken Lands, Pitiless Vizier, Ruthless Sniper, Hekma Sentinels, Sacred Excavation, Zenith Seeker, Countervalling Winds, Imaginery Threats, Sinuous Striker, Striped Riverwinder, Tragic Lesson, Lurching Rotbeast, Merciless Eternal, Razeketh's Rite, Scarab Feast, Stir the Sands, Unburden, Wander in Death, Censor, Wasteland Scorpion, Compelling Argument, Floodwaters, Lay Claim, Shimmerscale Drake, Vizier of Trumbling Sands, River Serpent

B/R Discard
Merciless Javelineer, Claim/Fame, Grisly Sruvivor, Faith of the Devouted, Horror of the Broken Lands, Pitiless Vizier, Grim Strider, Ruthless Sniper, Flameblade Adept, Thresher Lizard, Miasmic Mummy, Scarab Feast, Stir the Sands, Unburden, Wander in Death, Battlefield Scavenger, Bloodrage Brawler, Deem Worthy, Wasteland Scorpion, Desert Cerodon, Limits of Solidarity, Pursue Glory, Hazoret's Monument

W/G Aggro
Ahn-Crop Champion, Appeal/Authority, Oketra's Avenger, Steward of Solidarity, Vizier of the True, Rhona's Stalwart, Oasis Ritualist, Hope Tender, Bitterblade Warrior, Hooded Brawler, Watchful Naga, Devoted Crop-Mate, Gust Walker, Rhet-Crop Spearmaster, Tah-Crop Elitte, Act of Heroism, Dauntless Aven, Djeru's Resolve, Sparring Mummy, Trial of Solidarity, Initiate's Champion, Spidery Grasp, Synchronized Strike,

R/G Aggro
Khenra Charioteer, Strugle/Survive, Burning-Fire Minotaur, Defiant Khenra, Firebrand Archer, Khenra's Scrapper, Ferwent Paincaster, Frilled Sandwalla, Harrier Naga, Hope Tender, Rhona's Stalwart, Granitic Titan, Manticore Eternal, Bitterbow Sharpshooter, Quarry Beetle, Rampaging Hippo, Sifter Wurm, Dune Diviner, Sidewinder Naga, Gilded Cerodon, Sand Strangler.

Friday, July 7, 2017

How to draft Hour of Devestation?

I'm going to present you the list of cards, starting from the best pick during the draft and ending on the least desirable card. For instance, if you don't have any card from "2nd pick" card pool you look for cards in "3rd pick". Cards not mentioned below shouldn't rather appear in your deck.

1st pick:
black: -
red: -
whiteAngel of Condemnation
blueKefnet's Last Word
greenPride Sovereign
multiThe Locust God,The Scarab God, The Scorpion God
artifact: -

2nd pick:
black: -
redChaos Maw
white: -
blueOminous Sphinx, Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
greenMajestic Myriarch, Overcome, Ramunap Hydra,Rhonas’s Last Stand
multiObelisk Spider, Grind // Dust
artifact: -

3rd pick:
black: Accursed Horde, Ammit Eternal, Banewhip Punisher, Bontu’s Last Reckoning, Doomfall, Dreamstealer, Hour of Glory, Lethal Sting, Liliana’s Defeat, Marauding Boneslasher, Merciless Eternal, Torment of Venom
redAbradeBurning-Fist Minotaur, Chandra's Defeat, Earthshaker Khenra, Fervent Paincaster, Frontline Devastator, Hour of Devastation, Khenra Scrapper, Manticore Eternal, Neheb, the Eternal, Open Fire, Puncturing Blow, Sand Strangler, Wildfire Eternal
whiteAngel of the God-Pharaoh, Aven of Enduring Hope, Crested Sunmare, Dauntless Aven, Desert’s Hold, Gideon’s Defeat, Oketra’s Avenger, Steward of Solidarity, Sunscourge Champion, Vizier of the True
blueAerial Guide, Champion of Wits, Imaginary Threats, Nimble Obstructionist, Sinuous Striker, Supreme Will, Unsummon, Vizier of the Anointed
greenAmbuscade, Bitterbow Sharpshooters, Devotee of Strength, Harrier Naga, Hope Tender, Resilient Khenra, Rhonas’s Stalwart, Sifter Wurm, Tenacious Hunter
multiNicol Bolas, God-Pharoah, Resolute Survivors, River Hoopoe, Samut, the Tested, Unraveling Mummy, Farm // Table, Consign // Oblivion, Struggle // Survive, God-Pharaoh’s Gift
artifact: -

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Hour of Devastation: mechanics

Hour of Devastation set is on the way, hence it is high time to introduce mechanics:
  • Eternalize — a keyword ability which is very similar to Embalm. Eternalize can only be activated if the creature is in the graveyard. When activated, the card is exiled and creates a token copy of itself, except that it is a zombie in addition to its other creature types and monocolored black. Its power/toughness becomes 4/4. You can eternalize any time you could cast a sorcery. Many creatures with eternalize have abilities that get better because of their increased power. Each creature with eternalize has a corresponding token, that can be found in booster pack.
  • Afflict — whenever a creature with this ability becomes blocked, defending player loses life equal to the Afflict value. It doesn't matter how many creatures block a creature with afflict; afflict triggers only once per combat at most.