Alara Reborn pre-releases

[juzamjedi]

I was just wondering if anyone on the board is going to any of the pre-releases that will be happening this weekend. I have not been to one in a long, long time and will probably go to one of the ones in Ohio. (if someone reads this and is also going to a pre-release in Ohio, send me a PM).

In any case I have not played in a long, long time and was wondering if anyone had any tips for enjoying the pre-release. I don't really have many cards to bring so I am sure I will play some drafts. Any other tips or suggestions?

[Kl3p_co.]

Dont wonder if you end up playing 5 colors, its the only option in sealed deck imho.Also, check throu the spoiler on mtgs, that is helpful each time a new set comes out
Gl and HF

[staggerwingjtstw]

Kl3p_co is dot on, as usual. I've been doing Prereleases since Onslaught (skipped Kamigawa and their stupid legendariness), and I was afraid to play 5c in Ravnica block (wasn't really feasible most of the time) but with Shards and Conflux, every deck I built in Sealed has been 5c.

Don't worry about bringing cards. I never do, it does limit what you can do in between matches, but you can always just challenge another person's draft. I used to never take my collection, because it was too many cards to keep track of with too many people around. But in the small shop run Prereleases, I usually take a deck or two. Which reminds me, I need to build me a new deck. Clerics are fun, but I need to try something new...

[juzamjedi]

Thanks for the suggestions on the 5 color decks. I am a little surprised, but I will give that a try.

Also I have to say that I am quite excited about the new mechanic "Cascade". In particular I like "Bituminous Blast". The rules have been released and one of the nuggets is this: the card you reveal with Cascade mechanic can be played at any time regardless of timing restrictions!

So suppose my opponent declares attackers and I hit one of his creatures with "Bituminous Blast". If my cascade effect pulls up a creature, well, I just got to play it for free at Flash speed.

[staggerwingjtstw]

In a constructed setting, I want to cascade into a Damnation... mmmm destructiony goodness.

But cascading into a 182 creature would be nice. You hit a creature with the blast, and get a creature and something like "Destroy target artifact" as well..

[Kl3p_co.]

The bad thing about playing cascade in constructed is, that there is maybe 1 playable card with cascade (The sphinx, Idk the exact name but its a beater with flying and smth and cascade )
Maybe there are more, cuz I just went throu the visual spoiler briefly only looking at some commons and mostly uncommons and rares..

[staggerwingjtstw]

The stormcaller's cascade thing, an enchantment that you can sac to give your creatures flying is a good cascade. it's a good enchantment for only 4 mana. If you're going to a prerelease on Sunday and you get one, it's a good card to use.

[juzamjedi]

OK, I went to the prerelease today and played in 2 sealed drafts. In one of the drafts I played Jund only (my pool was insane, more in a minute) and got second place. In the other draft none of my shards were particularly strong, so I went 5 color. This one went pretty badly and I was either last or close to last. But hey I sure gave it a good shot.

Most of the decks that played well in the prerelease were either Jund or Bant. There are some good exalted effects. The most notable deck (not one I played) was actually able to deck their opponents very easily! He had Nemesis of Reason (7 toughness) and also Mind Funeral to deck most of his opponents. Something to think about in limited.

The Cascade effect played as well as I had hoped! I am happy to say I got to play Bituminous Blast in my first pool of cards. I hit one of his fatties and then cascaded into Blightning for free. Also there is a card that I think is insane with cascade: Manaplasm. Read its text again: it triggers whenever you play a spell so even if the opponent counters your cascaded spell you still get the bonus. I am seriously considering a Cascade / Manaplasm constructed deck (which might cascade into Terminate, or Maelstrom Pulse, cards that definitely go in a Jund deck).

The fatties with basic landcycling were a lot better than I expected. They give you the option to fix mana if you need it or put a thump on your opponent. The borderposts were OK, but not as great as you might think for 5 color.

For those that are interested here is the deck I played for most of the first tournament. Remember that this was Shards of Alara and Alara Reborn only (no Conflux):

Creatures
1 x Igneous Pouncer
1 x Madrush Cyclops
2 x Valley Rannet
1 x Kresh the Bloodbraided
1 x Vithian Stinger
1 x Blood Cultist
1 x Jund Hackblade
2 x Sprouting Thrinax
1 x Rhox Brute
1 x Deadshot Minotaur
1 x Druid of the Anima

Spells
1 x Dragon Fodder
1 x Gift of the Gargantuan
1 x Bituminous Blast
3 x Resounding Thunder
2 x Branching Bolt
1 x Blightning
1 x Sangrite Backlash
1 x Veinfire Borderpost

Lands
5 Forest
5 Swamp
6 Mountain

[Kl3p_co.]

You are one lucky guy to get the best limited cards for BRG

[juzamjedi]

Thanks and hey I will take lucky over skilled.

Here's a constructed deck idea that I came up with based on the new cards I played with at the pre-release this weekend. It is a beatdown deck that takes advantage of the new Cascade ability pretty nicely with a combo into Manaplasm. Also note that the only spells less than 3 mana cost are all creatures or Manamorphose so Violent Outburst should consistently put a new creature into play.

4 x Bloodbraid Elf (cascade and haste)
4 x Manaplasm
3 x Jund Hackblade
3 x Rip-Clan Crasher
3 x Putrid Leech
3 x Spark Elemental
3 x Tattermunge Maniac

3 x Bituminous Blast (cascade, deal 4 damage to a creature)
4 x Maelstrom Pulse
4 x Violent Outburst (cascade, gives +1 to your creatures)
4 x Manamorphose (for fixing plus Manaplasm bonus)

8 x Forest
8 x Mountain
6 x Swamp

[Kl3p_co.]

I really like to be mean, but I will rly try not to be this time:

Lands:Sorry, you cant fix a 3c deck with basics,u have to play trial lands,filter lands and eventually reflecting pools.
Creatures:
Rip-clan crasher-DONT play it, it doesnt do ANYTHING!!(I know, its haste, but nevertheless,its only a 2/2 with no evasion ability)
Bloodbraid elf-I know it has cascade and everything, but not a playset pls, your mana curve doesnt support it
Id add Figures of destiny,eventually the 3/4 cyclops that gives haste to creatures(he is really THE best creature you can play)
Next, black has really pesky creatures liek Shriekmaw and stuff, so Id eventually ad them.
As youre playing BRG, Id play The 1/1 Ooze from CNF, which is really great in almost full multicolor decks.
Id go with Hellspark elemental instead of Spark Elemental (hellspark always creates 2 for 1 )

Spells are ok,as youre playing cascade as a main mechanic(Id never do that but you do so Im trying to be as much helpful as I can )
Id maybe play Volcanic Fallout instead of manamorphose,but that would mean youd have to remove all */2 creatures(which I would really do )

[juzamjedi]

Those are definitely some good suggestions there. You are thinking of Madrush Cyclops (I got one at the prerelease ) and yes he would be a great 4 drop for this deck concept. I don't know if this is really the right forum but here is a refined list. Check out this list as it has a lot better mana fixing and a lot of card combos:

1 x Kresh the Bloodbraided
1 x Madrush Cyclops
3 x Bloodbraid Elf (cascade and haste)
2 x Manaplasm
2 x Scarland Thrinax
2 x Sprouting Thrinax
2 x Putrid Leech
3 x Jund Hackblade
3 x Grixis Grimblade
2 x Bloodmark Mentor
3 x Bloodhall Ooze

2 x Bituminous Blast (cascade, deal 4 damage to a creature)
1 x Sarkhan Vol
1 x Necrogenesis
1 x Quietus Spike
2 x Maelstrom Pulse
4 x Violent Outburst (cascade and creatures get +1)
3 x Veinfire Borderpost (B/R fixing)
3 x Firewild Borderpost (G/R fixing)

4 x Savage Lands
5 x Mountain
5 x Forest
5 x Swamp

[Kl3p_co.]

I personally wouldnt play the borderposts, rather Rampant growth, the new thing from ARB, or Birds of Paradise or Noble Hierarch.Also, Scarland Thrinax is really bad in comparison to Nantuko Husk, which is mana friendlier, so Id go with him.The deck looks good by now(only if you could get the figures ), Id even play it on FNMs
Yea and get more cyclopses you need at least 3.

OT: GH when do you upload the names from ARB so the forum can display the cards?Do you need any resources or help?

[Kl3p_co.]

Ive been really bored and thought about your idea of BRG aggro, and heres my take on a competetive version:
// Lands
3 [MOR] Mutavault
2 [IA] Sulfurous Springs
4 [TE] Reflecting Pool
3 [CNF] Ancient Ziggurat
3 [IA] Karplusan Forest
3 [SHM] Graven Cairns
2 [SHM] Fire-Lit Thicket
1 [EVE] Twilight Mire
3 [10E] Treetop Village
2 [AP] Llanowar Wastes

// Creatures
2 [ALA] Sarkhan Vol
4 [EVE] Figure of Destiny
2 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
3 [ARB] Madrush Cyclops
3 [MOR] Chameleon Colossus
4 [ARB] Jund Hackblade
2 [ARB] Grixis Grimblade
3 [LRW] Shriekmaw

// Spells
4 [MOR] Bitterblossom
2 [LRW] Nameless Inversion
3 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse
1 [CNF] Banefire
1 [10E] Loxodon Warhammer

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [ALA] Sarkhan Vol
SB: 1 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse
SB: 4 [CNF] Volcanic Fallout
SB: 2 [CNF] Banefire
SB: 3 [10E] Terror
SB: 3 [LRW] Profane Command
SB: 1 [10E] Loxodon Warhammer


So there are some really significant differences:
Lands-as you can see, this version plays NO basic lands,but plays alot of painlands AND manlands,which are really pesky against controls

Creatures-In comparison to you version, I play relevant threats every turn starting with figure of destiny, which, when endures, is your best creature.Im not sure about grixis Grimblade, if I consider it bad in some point of time, I play Bloodhall ooze,which takes me to the 2nd point-your version doesnt support bloodhall ooze from the 1st turn,but mine does,altho I play FoD, which I find to be a million times better then the ooze.

Spells-I really like planeswalkers,and BRG has the option to pick from the best anti-control PW you can get(except from elspeth tho),and I play BB which actually makes a control matchup even more favorable(right now without any testing I consider it to be smth like 80:20 for us)Ive also took the ultimate killing spell-banefire, which absolutely destroys controls and owns aggro as well(with 26 lands a 5+ banefire shouldnt be a problem late-game)

As for the sideboard, I teched it against RW and BW tokens,which I consider to be a 50/50 matchup,altho I would rly like to play Kitchen Finks(maybe instead of Grixis Grimblade,as the 3cc slot is empty because of FoD)

Critique appreciated(and if some1 would test this thing Id be rly thankful )

[The Scientist]

We drafted ARB-ARB-ARB with our spoils and I did this cool thing with Cascade :

Opponent attacks me with all his creatures, being at 18 life.
I have a 2/4 double Striker and 1 Putrid Leech. I take the damage.
He doesn't play a new creature but passes the turn.
I attack, he doesn't block, I play Violent Outburst, going through quite a big library to find 1 of my 4 Colossal Might's.
That's a 5/4 Leech and a 7/6 Double Striker for you, sir.

That one was pretty cool, but it's only because of the high amount of good aggro cards in my deck at that point.
In most other cases, to me cascade was just average to bad ..


Grimblade is only good when you can be sure you have a multicolored permanent in play .. Count how many you have, I think it's good, but close ..
also Figure of Destiny > Bloodhall Ooze
Also, you have 15 spells that can't be played using mana from Ancient Ziggurat, 15 out of 34 ?