Subject: For Rob Hahn War College -Resource speed-card and mana speed Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 17:03:25 -0700 From: Jim Gully To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Resource speed-card and deck mana As in all battles, generals are willing to sacrifice their resources in order to gain strategic advantage to win. Anytime a new weapon is created, success generates duplication. So be it with cannons against castles, atomic bombs, or magic decks. The surprise of new weapons will win until a new strategy or weapon is developed. So be it with using resources in a different way or new color combinations or alliances. That is until god's or international law prevail. In addition to offensive,defensive and resource speed, two items that are generally not considered are mana speed and card draw speed. It is naturally assumed the power 9, Recall, Time.. ,Lotus and moxen are exactly these kinds of speed cards. Always strategic positioning offensive and defensive but not kill speed.. Cards that can increase either of these are critical to game strategy. Currently, prolific mana speed is squandered resources. Dark Ritual and Mana Vault are used for these purposes but are not enduring. Mana Crypt was limited for this reason as was Mishra's Workshop. The favorite card draw producers currently are Necro and Prosperity and Ophidian. Look at the power of Meditate or Ancestral Recall or why J. Tome or Howling Mine are used. The reason I believe is simple. Given the use of these cards the person who successfully uses these cards hopes to win deck speed to their stategy. Some may counter that creature reproducers are more important such as Sacred Mesa, Snake Basket and the K. Outpost or Enduring Renewal or Goblin Warren. In some decks that may be true. However, each of these requires a mana driver. There are few mana drivers. Of course Channel was restircted as was Fastbond when Helm was created. Infinite loops exist but rules changes have limited them. When strategic advantage is so obvious that every mages plays it or has counters against it, the god's change the rules. A new Tempest card has the same qualities. Earthcraft It allows maximum utilization of each creature on the first turn (it does the tapping-no s sickness). Any creature can be a mana generator(not green). Mana curves are a thing of the past(Reduce the amount of mana needed) Most mages can achieve strategy by the third turn. Every creature has multiple purposes besides attack and defend. Each creature is a threat. Classic card decks can now be of another color. I have found that worb and vision charms are for me a staple. The charms are the best type 2 counter spell. It is played before and change land types. If tapped, an attack is a burn. Earthcraft changes the classic deck uses and colors. 1. A green stasis deck. Use multiple creatures to untap an island,vitalize untap or hurkl recall 0 creatures back - remove stasis. 2. Control multiple capsize each turn,2 nd lobotomy, alway have islands available, zur wierding control, use of vision to change land types for only U,recall,prosperity and high costing U spells-ie time warp or heh (whim a chill). 3. Necro deck- using necro in any deck. Initiate of ebon hand or 1 swamp is needed. A blue necro deck or green necro deck 4. Weenie deck- The best overall creature in these decks are 0 creatures thopters,p.walkers,alliance shields, kobolds, pump with single pump,overrun,song of blood,tombstone stairwell,creature eating,sadistic glee, creature fodder-hand destruction,goblin bombardment,Living death. Sligh deck- 0 creatures, goblins,goblin warren recursion infinite creatures, song of blood,LD,Jaukolaups Stompy creatures, hurricane,overrun, wild growth Bloom deck- sq,res, earthcraft, prosperity, meditate,time xx- who cares once bloom is down. HD and LD are optional types that have been tried with some success with earthcraft. Infinite combos with earthcraft 1. Shrieking Drakes with Wild growth on U. 2. Goblin Warrens,2 goblins and 3 mana resources. 3 Aluren with two of man o war and /or shrieking drake (1 mana) 4 Sacred Mesa and W with Wild growth 5 Enduring renewal with many creatures mogg fanatics, blood pet, Wall of Roots, or many with goblin bombardment( infinite creature with sadistic glee) ashnods altar not needed. In magic is the use of resources in a different way. For example, the color green is known for its mana production while blue and red are not. Black is known for graveyard manipulation, but not a Wrath of God. Blue and White have different special countering abilities. Each has its color enemy. Therefore, the element of surprise comes when blue creates mana or Black Wraths all creatures. Another element of surprise comes when permanents are used in a way not expected. Titania's Song is an example. When creatures are used as fodder as well as offense and defense, an added dimension and threat is created. Similar to the Kamikazei Pilots. Mogg Fanatics or Blood Pets are examples of fodder creatures. They can do three things well. They can attack, the can do something else and they can go to the graveyard- all in the same turn. Phyrexian Walkers and Ornithopters can defend, be recast against ophedian decks, or attack with overrun. All creatures can do two things- they can be tapped and they can die. Using a Paul Enfields weighting scheme (DOJO) three of the most effective creatures are Wall of Roots,Phyrexian Walkers, and Alliance Shields. Creature disadvantages become deck and strategic speed in the right combination. What is junk in one format is gold in another. Creature fodder is what needs these effective creatures. Necro sacrifices life for cards. Armaggedon sacrifices land for mana advantage. Recursion and infinite mana can be generated with Shrieking Drakes and Earthcraft. Does it matter if creatures are in the graveyard with Tombstone stairwell or Living Death. Can two Sadistic glee tokens use creature fodder. Does it matter if cards are returned to one's hand if Cadaverous Bloom or Firestorm are the strategy. Does Ashnod's Alter look good to Prosperity? If a general can use fodder to strategic advantage, does it matter whether the creature lives or dies or is returned to ones hand?