Post by Atreides Conscript on Jul 12, 2005 20:04:18 GMT -5
It has been too long since I've seen a good ol' fashioned creature beat-down. Tooth and Nail... Ravager... these have fallen so far out of touch with what Magic was long ago. I admit, the tournament scene has always been full of the decks that go for the fast win and the inability to lose... but where is the fun in that?
I want to be stomped by a Leviathan. I want to have the Spirit of the Night beat the piss out of me! I want to be reminded why you don't screw around with Radiant.... I want to remember exactly what it feels like to have an Ornithopter deal the final blow. I want to kill 15 Saprolings... only to have 30 breathing down my neck the following turn!
I miss losing 17 life over the course of six turns and laying Avatar of Hope... only to come back and win the game.
Does anyone else feel this way? Does anyone else notice how absurd the newer sets are? Or am I alone?
What do you call 4 crows milling about at the side of a road?
You sir are not alone. Huntingbeast and myself are having a good old fashioned beat down Thursday. It is going to consist of three legitamite games of beast on beast. The results will be posted. We have also agreed to a couple of "just for fun" games after the duel is over. This is going to be the games of magic that I used to love playing. I can't wait.
that is what 1.5 tournaments are for. first time i entered one it was great. I took the whole thing with Living Wood (elves/beasts). Ah yes plain green smack down. it was fun, especially considering it was my first tourney.
I hate to tell you all, but Halo killed the MMMG (Massive Multiplayer Magic Game) in Troy. Why? Because it was easier to gather people together for Halo than for Magic. Also, I stopped trying to play the classic style we all loved because I yearned for the challenge of making decks with restrictions and limited resources. That for me was the challenge, and building something basically in repetition for me was boring. I DID assert that no one else had to follow me into Type II-ness, and I never expected you to.
If I ruined the game that much for you guys, I'm sorry. However, I don't think any of us have ever really squared off against a T2 deck. If you have, my point is moot. Ignore the post.
Post by The Hatter on Jul 13, 2005 16:48:52 GMT -5
I don't think that anyone is complaining about you Eun. I think that it's just over the course of time and with the new sets being released, people just kind of fell away from the older stuff and went to the newer stuff because it was newer....not better, but newer. I don't blame you for going Type II, it's just not the forte of most of the people in the group. We really don't want to have to go out and get the new magic sets because the older ones are becoming "obsolete" (?). I do enjoy the challenge of building and designing decks with restrictions, but yes I do miss the old days....when Leviathan and Polar Kraken just scared the piss out of people.
I'm unsure about Halo killing the MMMG. If it did it only delived the final death blow after several (ok maybe not several, but there were some) blows that did a good job of weakening it to the point of near-death.
1) Graduation day: Most of our massive multiplayer games occured over the lunch table at the high school. As more and more of us stoped being at the lunch table, the games got smaller.
2) Lack of places to hold such games: after the lunch table one popular place for massive games was Ben's house (I still remember the 12+ player game we once held there), then Ben left. End of most games there with the exception of the rare party. Another popular place was Sarah's house, but has Sarah's health (and mood) was unpredicable mass gatherings there slowly dwindled. Then there was the favorite late night spot for many Magic player's Waffle House, many of you probaly never played there at 2 in the morning but it did happen on at least a weekly basis there for quite a time (then again these games were rarely more than 3 or 4 players so they might not be considered massive). Last of course was Ta's house in which some gathered around the X-box and others aboud the table. Here we see the death of MMMG.
3) I know that there were some who were mildly afraid/discouraged after playing against decks such as the infamous Ice Cream or any one of your decks. Why play if there is no hope of winning was the philosophy of some players. Others enjoyed the challenge.
4) Lastly, there were some video games that also weakened the MMMG. Most of these agmes were played at John's house be the video game or rpg.
As I said, Halo may have been the name of the knock out punch against the MMMG, there were a few good one-two punches that came before that would have lead to an eventual defeat.
but yeah i miss the old games too. but i get that every now and then at tournies. i once convinced them to hold a choas 1.5 game. it was fun.
To be honest, one of the reasons that I stopped playing the game was that it seemed like I was just being outdated. I got most of my cards during Ice Age, then the next set during the tail end of the Urza block.
It simply was not enough. You all know that there were more then enough theme decks and what not that were designed to win, and to win hard. As much as I liked simply hanging out and playing, unless I went out of my way to keep a low profile, I just got knocked out quickly. And the game is hard to play if you are not competitive.
As to the OP, I have always been a big fan of creature heavy decks. Between flying Giant Turtles, "It's never just one point!" John white decks, and my own "Don't let him get to midgame!" Angel decks, creatures were the entire reason I got into the game. I saw the game as a way to build up huge armies and have them battle it out. Other decks are not built this way, I understand, but they all have fun creatures. Scaled Worms and Force of Nature for green, Lim Dul's High Guard and Frozen Shades for black, Illusionary Wall and Marjahn for blue, Stone Wall and Fire Elementals for red, and the various assembled armies of the UN for white, they all can go creature heavy.
The problem was that when I last played, no one seemed to want to do that. They would much prefer Fireballs and Counter Spells over the more "honorable" forms of direct combat. And for a guy who got into the game for that... well, it just stopped being fun. So I sold my cards.
Things might have changed in the current sets, but in the down time, I have found a new game that is more my style. I would like to play Magic again, but... *shrug*
My decks that I have heard requests to rebuild from the olden days: Big Blue (Yes, take not just one, but THREE Leviathans!) Ayanami Rei (One of the only known decks to take Justin Stanforth whilst he was cheeting) Chimeras (hee~)
Decks my friends have Banned: DUSc (all non-Type II incarnations) STACTICMOON Moonlight II Archmind/God Combo
I do know I have many decks that could play a large, victory avoiding game. It's just a matter of rebuilding them. Prepare a place for me at the table for, when next I come to Troy, there WILL be a pwnoge!
Last Edit: Jul 21, 2005 20:35:29 GMT -5 by eunhathes
Post by Atreides Conscript on Jul 21, 2005 20:38:51 GMT -5
eunhathes said:
Prepare a place for me at the table for, when next I come to Troy, there WILL be a pwnoge!
We shall see my friend... for Vernal Boom is almost rebuilt! Add to that the solid decks of Midnight and Pure Grace, and we shall see who will be doing the pwning....
You shall fall from Grace...
or you shall kneel at her feet....
What do you call 4 crows milling about at the side of a road?
dude, to be a dick with chimeras, just add DotV, Arcbound Ravager, and KCI. Throw in a Rocket Launcher and 4@ Chimera with 4 Proteus Machines. Boom in yer face.
But I'm trying to have fun, not be a dik... so its as close to the original design as I can get. Now if only I had a playset of Urzatron...
Post by Atreides Conscript on Jul 27, 2005 16:18:42 GMT -5
I may have a some playsets of Urzatron sitting around gathering dust... I'm not sure of it, but I'll check.
I may be willing to trade an Urzatron to you... if you'd be so kind as to find me a certain Will... y'know... the Will of a certain kind of something. I don't think that I'd mind losing them if it means that you have a deck for me to pwn.
Deal will commence on that certain Friday we discussed... y'know... the one that we discussed in advance.... I do hope that you haven't found some before then....
MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!
What do you call 4 crows milling about at the side of a road?
Ellis has (recently) had his intrest perked in the game, and I am trying to put together what I call my "+1 <3 (heart)" deck.
I do not suppose anyone has any Angels or Kitsune laying around that I might be able to use? I have very little to trade with, but I could use the help, if you have any. I could subsist off of just commons and uncommons, if needed...
Artimi, I have a large collection of commons and uncommons. Give me a call sometime and I'll let you look through my stuff. Almost anything is free rein. If I'm not using it and its just sitting there... I see no reason why you couldn't use it. Not to mention that I wouldn't mind seeing another people get back into the game.
Draconic Ascension (my new dragon/ angel deck) is always looking for some fresh meat.
Dyne
"Can I get a crystal ball?" Says PC1
"No." Says GM
"Why not? It's a class feature of mine," PC1 replies.
I think this answers a few questions. I honestly enjoy Bushido beside Flanking, and will love Dredge beside Sylvan Library.
Also, in other news for the people who have squared off against meself: I am going back to playing true casual. Not intent on winning, I am forcing myself to build 16 decks, one or each one and two color combination and one artifact. I am avoiding my typical "blue style", as Conscript is fond of calling it, however. So, I will be back eventually.
I hate to ask it like this, but can anyone spare some "defunct" commons/uncommons? I have stick to work with to build these.
The flavor text game inspired me to look through my cards today. Then I started reminiscing.
I remember back in - was it fourth grade? third? I'm not sure - when I was visiting my dad's family out on the west coast and picked up two starter packs of Beta with my Christmas money. I still have the Sengir Vampire with which I shredded all opposition that first month.
I remember being thrilled when I realized that counter/burn was a viable build - a wizard that acts like a goddamn wizard!. It was around this time, in fact, that I learned to curse.
I remember the Infinite Recursion Deck, games with which tended to be measured in days (largely due to the presence of Swords to Plowshares, Timetwister, and that one Arabian Nights card that I can never spell.)
I remember the Deck of Sooner-Than-Instant Death, which tended to feature such charming components as two Lords of the Pit and three Water Elementals breathing down your neck by the end of turn one. Turn two would usually feature a messy, messy death.
I remember when I finally figured out how to beat that goddamn deck.
I remember staring goggle-eyed the first time I saw an Elder Dragon Legend (Arcades-Sabboth, in case you cared.)
I remember the first time someone pulled Lure/Craw Giant on me. (Great time to have Terror handy. Still and all...)
I remember being told that my primary decks looked like a gigantic bruise and a small girl's bedroom. (I was using very frustrating blue/black total control and blue/white card death decks at the time.)
I remember having nightmares inspired by various cards of The Dark. Mostly Dark Heart of the Wood and Maze of Ith.
I remember holding a tournament to celebrate the release of Fallen Empires. I played the Merfolk. Beat the Homarids in the first round but got my clock cleaned by the Thrulls in the second.
I remember being scandalized by the new tap symbol and being awed by the sheer ridiculousness of the Polar Kraken.
I remember being shocked at the tournament results when two flashburn decks fought each other to card death due to the power of the Zuran Orb.
I remember refusing to own a copy of Gaze of Pain because just looking at the card made me cringe.
I remember aspiring to collect one of every Goblin, Merfolk, Orc, Zombie, Soldier, and Knight.
I remember how proud I was the day I finally tracked down Goblin Wizard and Merfolk Assassin - both from the same person - thus succeeding in the above goal.
Most of all, though, I remember what it was like with just the original set. No phasing, no flanking, when a Lord of the Pit wasn't a card but a deck design philosophy standpoint, when legends of the man who tore up his Chaos Orb were fresh and believable. In those days, spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and Mons's Goblin Raiders were real Mons's Goblin Raiders.
I miss that game. I also haven't seen it played in about seven years.
;D
