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    BazaarOfBaghdad

    @BazaarOfBaghdad

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    Best posts made by BazaarOfBaghdad

    • Vintage Deckbuilders' Checklist

      [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kYcpUux2d9ytL0f0Y7_UaIBNcJdUVYuI_qgaXTlMY5s/pubhtml](link url)

      I invite all to check out the card database I've composed of all Vintage playables - sorted by function, card type, cost, color, a subjective rating system, etc. , and with very brief card comments in each; all from a deckbuilder's perspective. It's in Google [Spread]Sheets format so you have to navigate it using the tabs at the top. For now, ignore any cardtagging ([/card]) mechanisms that you see as that functionality may come into play at a later date. I've had a couple of Vintage players preview it and offer suggestions, and each one has told me that this work is an incredible resource. I personally think it might be the best Vintage resource ever - at least, I've already used it a ton in my own deckbuilding/tweaking.

      Vintage experts will likely want to mostly check out the disruption page when tweaking their decks as this quickly lays out all the viable options.

      Feel free to download this work to Excel or your own private Sheets page to modify however you may want.

      This was the labor of love over 150 hours this past summer. The article was finished basically three weeks ago, but it was hard to find a publisher, given the spreadsheet format. I merely mention that to ask you to please forgive any metagame comments that have since staled. If anyone has any better publishing ideas, I can easily turn this off and host this longterm on your preferred site.

      I hope you all can enjoy and profit from it, especially as a vastly new metagame emerges with Conspiracy 2. BoB

      posted in Vintage News
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • Happy Easter!

      To those who celebrate! AMDG!

      posted in Off-Topic
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: [C17] Magus of the Mind

      @maximumcdawg No.

      posted in Single-Card Discussion
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: The blind Revoker scenario - What would you do?

      I'd never play blind Revoker with Chalice in hand! I'd always play Chalice on zero first to see if it resolves! If it doesn't, Lotus. If it does, Dack.

      posted in Workshops
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • Paradoxical Oath (4-0 MTGO Daily Tournament Report)

      I went 4-0 on MTGO daily last night with a Paradoxical Outcome brew that I had never tested before, using Oath, which I had never played before, even in practice games. I give credit to @Soly whose bluntness on the PO thread, even though I usually find it repulsive, helped me to see that Oath is just clearly (well, pretty clearly) where the deck wants to be over Wishes which I had been touting, even with success. Thanks, Soly.

      That said, this list is not perfect; it hedges a lot between Outcome/artifact goodness, and avoiding vulnerability to Null Rod. Notes included below, then report.

      Lands
      2 Misty Rainforest – I had advocated for Glimmervoids (+Orchard maybe), but Brainstorm/Top issues plus not committing a Wastelandable land is pretty strong too. I think Fetches are correct.
      2 Polluted Delta
      2 Underground Sea
      1 Tropical Island
      1 Tundra
      1 Seat of the Synod – good card, but this deck is sporting 4 colors, and if my Repeal is going to get rid of maindeck Rods, I can’t afford too many.
      1 Tolarian Academy – no Minamo which is generally win-more, and bad in a 4-color deck
      1 Expedition Map

      Fast Mana
      1 Black Lotus
      1 Mox Emerald
      1 Mox Jet
      1 Mox Pearl
      1 Mox Ruby
      1 Mox Sapphire
      1 Chrome Mox – again, hedging
      3 Mox Opal – more hedging, but 3 is a solid number here
      1 Lotus Petal – weak, but not terrible, great with Balance
      1 Mana Crypt
      1 Sol Ring
      1 Mana Vault
      1 Grim Monolith – debatable, but 1 seemed right all night (note, 3 Keys)

      Draw/Manipulation
      1 Ancestral Recall
      1 Brainstorm – cuttable in some P.O. versions, but with Oath, no way
      2 Sensei's Divining Top
      1 Vampiric Tutor – powerful, esp. since deck is playing 2-3 different game plans (storm, oath, combo)
      1 Demonic Tutor
      1 Merchant Scroll – I prefer Demonic, despite so little black, but this is very solid
      1 Snapcaster Mage – sideboarded out for Oath games
      1 Timetwister – I saw someone cut this in their list – inexplicable to me
      1 Tinker – a way to help the combo g.1/colossus g.2
      1 Thoughtcast – hedging vs. Thirst – 2-2 split would be my starting point from now on, but none of the 4 slots are guaranteed (one could easily be Jar, for example)
      3 Thirst for Knowledge
      4 Paradoxical Outcome – more of a support card than a main feature (Tezz), but a darn good one

      Combo
      1 Time Walk
      1 Time Vault
      3 Voltaic Key – the SDT combo is of course strong
      2 Tezzeret the Seeker - the #1 all-star tonight by a mile
      1 Brain Freeze – possibly a wrong call; it was way better in the Wish builds

      Disruption
      4 Force of Will – sided out vs. Dredge and even blue mirror (some copies)
      2 Flusterstorm – I suspect 1 main plus one in the board is the right number until more storm/big blue shows up
      1 Repeal – a catch-all
      1 Balance

      Sideboard – Oath package
      4 Oath of Druids – coming in only for the Thorn/Rod/Dredge decks
      1 Blazing Archon – conceptually an all-star for fighting off Eldrazi/Dredge
      1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind - almost certainly should be Elesh Norn or a 2nd Blazing Archon
      1 Blightsteel Colossus – I had the pleasure of hardcasting this vs. Rich Shay’s Stax deck
      1 Forbidden Orchard – importantly, tutorable by the black tutors and Map

      Sideboard - Other
      1 Nature's Claim
      1 Chain of Vapor – might be better than Repeal in the main
      1 Tormod's Crypt – tutor luxury
      1 Rest in Peace – same
      1 Flusterstorm
      1 Mindbreak Trap
      1 Hurkyl's Recall – very good vs. Stax against which the Oath plan is suspicious with only one Orchard

      Rd. 1 – vs. @IslandSwamp playing Pitch Dredge Depths (2-1, 1-0)

      G.1 – I conceded pretty quickly when he had a fast start, with Therapy wrecking my hand.

      I brought in RIP, Crypt, Chain (for Marit Lage), and the Oath package minus Colossus. I sided out all 6 counters, Synod, Mage, and a Tezzeret.

      G.2 – We both kept 7s, mine being Sea, Ruby, Scroll, Demonic, Thirst, RIP, Time Vault. I Tutored for Lotus, and cracked it for RIP, buying me at least three turns if no Force; resolved. I drew Ancestral into Mox, Mox, Brainstorm, and Thirsted into Outcome, Thoughtcast (bye Mana Vault). Meanwhile, he would assemble turns 1-3 lands of Depths, Urborg, Stage. On my t.3, first, however, I did Outcome for 4 (costing only one mana), and assembled Vault-Key for the win. Except, since I’d never played with it before, I accidentally skipped my turn before closing the deal one turn later, getting Tezz for the win in about 2-3 extra turns.

      G.3 – We also kept 7s, mine being Lotus, Delta, Orchard, Oath, Demonic, Brainstorm, Sphinx, drawing into Petal. He had Bazaar this time. I Tutored for a t.1 RIP, and ran it into a FoW. Fortunately, double Therapy in his yard but no Narcs. I Oathed (Orchard), this time he got the Narcs, but I brainstormed into land Archon, dumping the creatures with Archon on top. Archon held off everyone, he failed to assemble Marit Lage but I’m not sure what he would have done if he had as I could deck him or get Repeal or just combo off. It took several turns, but Archon got there by himself.

      Round 2 vs. @The Atog Lord playing Stax (which I had seen in his stream the previous night with a nice 4-0 finish) (2-1, 2-0)

      G.1 – We kept 7s, mine being a great: Synod, Jet, Time Vault, Tezz, Demonic, FoW + Snappy (blue card). I countered his t.1 Trinisphere, drew Ruby, and played out Vault over Tutoring for Key since Revoker, if he had it was less important naming Vault, and otherwise keeping Tutor for who knows what. Crucible-Bazaar from him immediately lost to my Sol Ring draw into Vault/Key combo.

      I brought in Chain, Claim, Recall, RIP, Orchard, and Blightsteel (Tinker). I sided out 2 Flusterstorm, 1 Tezz, Repeal, Brain Freeze, and Balance. I should have probably kept in Balance on the play g.3.

      G.2 – I mulled a spicy one-lander (no artifacts), and kept a dubious Tropical, Key, Mana Vault, 2 black Tutor, Force. No blue card and dead to Rod or Trinisphere. I played the Delta I drew (he had played Thorn) and passed. He played t.2 Rod, and I scooped soon thereafter.

      G.3 – Again I mulled a one-land, no artifact hand. We both kept 6s. I kept a sketchy hand of 3 lands, Recall, 2 Paradoxical Outcome, putting Lotus on bottom. I played Delta; he played Thorn. I played the Map I drew. He neutered it with Revoker (right call?) and Wasted something. Like a champ, I drew Mana Crypt, and played it and a 3rd land. With 5 mana, he could only muster a Bridge. Like a champ, I drew a Sapphire, and EOT cast Hurkyl’s on his board. I drew Key like a champ, and now had a very good double-Paradoxical turn. First, a free Paradoxical for 4, then for 7 (counting the Top-trick), then I got 9 artifacts into play, let Map find Academy, and hardcast Blightsteel with Lotus still left untapped, and Force-Blue card in hand, for the Bridge he replayed. He still managed a Revoker, which combined with an Orchard token, bought him one turn on the double block. I had kept Vampiric on top, drew it and passed after the initial attack. This time he found a Metamorph, after having Wasted my Academy first main phase. Nevertheless, I just Vamped for Force of Will, with plenty of mana to hardcast it after drawing it off Top.

      Round 3 vs. Anselan playing White Eldrazi (2-1, 3-0)

      G.1 – I had a good hand on the play, keeping Academy, Opal, 2 Keys, Pearl, Force, Tezz. He kept. I played Pearl, Key, Opal, Key, keeping Academy back in case he had a Wasteland. He Revokered my Keys off a land-mox (saving him from t.2 combo). I drew Ruby like a champ, played Tezz into Divining Top, looking for gas. I found Ancestral, Monolith, Brainstorm; used top to get Ancestral, and replayed Top, now with FoW fodder in hand for shenanigans. He wasted my Academy and got out a 2nd Revoker. I forced it since I needed to play the Top game. Tezz went down to 1. Top found Time Walk and Timetwister, which allowed me to get Tezz up to 2 and draw 7 new cards with Monolith also in play. I drew: 2 lands, Brain Freeze, Flusterstorm, Ring, 2nd Tezz, and Paradoxical with 3 mana. That equals draw 8 more cards. I could have easily Brain Freezed his entire library, but used Tezzeret/Time Vault instead.

      I brought in the entire Oath package, Chain, and Claim. I sided out Snapcaster, 2 Flusterstorm, Map, Vampiric, 1 Tezz, Brain Freeze, and 2 Thirsts, leaving me a little light on blue cards.

      G.2 – We both kept 7s, but mine was pretty bad. It had Oath, Force, Thirst, Thoughtcast, Key, and 2 Opals. He played Cage t.1, which struck me as very odd, but worked well of course. I let it resolve, but did pitch Force to stop Chalice. I played a Sea and Key, but he had Thorn and Waste. I sputtered and he played Priest (how did he know I was Oath? or was he lucky?), TKS took a balance I had drawn but couldn’t cast, and I lost quickly.

      G.3 – We kept 7s, and I had a hand of Sea, Academy, Petal, Mana Vault, Key, Force, Chain. I played out Sea, Vault, Petal, Key, untapping Vault. I let his Thorn resolve. I drew Orchard, and played it, keeping Academy safe in hand. I let his Cage resolve t.2, and his Thalia came in under Cavern. I drew Timetwister like a champ, and used the Chain on Thalia before Twisting. I drew Tundra, Synod, Opal, Mox, Demonic, Chain (again), and Tezz, simply passing with the intent to play Chain on Thorn EOT. He played 2nd Cavern into TKS. I thought Chain was the most critical card, so I played it on Thorn in response, he sacked a land returning Key. He had an untapped Mox, but apparently no other Moxen in hand so, I had a forced win, no matter what he took. He took Key, but I just dumped Synod, Opal, Emerald, played Demonic for Time Vault, played Vault, tapped Academy for 5, played Tezz, untapping both Vaults for the win.

      Round 4 vs. i_b_TRUE playing Gush Delver (2-0, 4-0)

      G.1 I basically won first turn. I kept Ruby, Sapphire, Vault, Top, Monolith, Ancestral, Paradoxical. Vault even got Misstepped, but Ancestral found Delta, Tezz, Lotus. I dumped the rest, with Paradoxical for 4, plus Top bonus, which was Scroll, Thirst, Tinker, Mana Crypt, and Petal. I used Top to get Key, and had enough mana for the t.1 Tezz which I +1’ed, leaving up Thirst mana and threatening lethal on the ultimate. I probably should have played Scroll into Brain Freeze instead for a lethal storm count of 18, but oh well. He putzed, and we sideboarded.

      I sided out Tinker (card disadvantage), a Force, and a Tropical. I brought in Claim, Flusterstorm, and Mindbreak Trap.

      G.2 – We both kept 7s, mine being: Academy, Synod, Tundra, Opal, Flusterstorm, Scroll, and Tezz. He Probed me, then played Lotus into Preordain, Brainstorm, Pyromancer. My Top got Misstepped and my Synod got Chewed on his turn. I drew Freeze and Demonic, but no way to cast them with Opal being my lone artifact. Scroll got Forced, it looked loose, but that allowed him to get enough yard to Cruise, still with a lone Volcanic. A 2nd followed, then Delver, and I went down to 10. I resolved a Key, and passed. He attacked me down to 4, cast Gush, and I Flustered it. He could have paid for it, but decided to replay a land and cast Dack, stealing my Key. Now happens my favorite play of the night. I have only Academy with one useless Opal and a Tundra in play. I only have Tezz, Brain Freeze and Demonic in hand. I only have 4 life and he has Dack, Pyromancer, Delver, and 4 Elemental tokens. I draw Mana Vault like a champ and somehow wiggle out! Vault resolves, giving me 5 mana. I cast Tezz and use his search ability for Black Lotus. Finally, that’s my 3rd artifact so Opal is now live, which I tap for White. I then sac lotus for BBB, and use Tutor to find Balance, casting it to reset the board with dueling Planeswalkers. His Dack finds baby Jace, but my Tezz trumps it with the Time Vault I find next turn for the game.

      I hope you all enjoyed the report! BoB

      posted in Combo
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: I[XLN] Primal Amulet/Primal Wellspring

      If this cost 2, it would be worth discussion. See e.g., Baral. At 4, this card is terrible.

      You can't run these cards for the Magical Christmas Land scenario. Real life intrudes. There are many better ways to double up on Ancestral.

      posted in Single-Card Discussion
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: Extremely Random - Chicken Pieces pointed out like Chess Pieces

      How absurd
      To kill a bird
      For our food -
      It's kind of rude
      To the little dude.

      posted in Off-Topic
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: Oh Boy I Can't Wait For VSL Season 6!

      This is getting absurd. Some are complaining that the VSL members are using their platform to unfairly influence the Vintage B&R list. Others are complaining that they're doing it directly to employees with their privileged access. Which is it, people? And anyways, even if true, so what? Don't like lobbyists? Find a way to make your own influence through skill, money, charm, or reason, etc.

      Finally, look at the recent banned list changes: axing Lodestone and Chalice. Does anyone want to argue that Shops isn't a tier 1 deck at the moment? Do we really want it to have even more tools? If they did try to influence, good thing.

      posted in Vintage News
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: [KLD] Paradoxical Outcome

      While not claiming it's better, I've gone 3-0 in matches in the TP room with a Cunning Wish version instead. Lots of singletons....More work still to be done...

      Lands
      4 Seat of the Synod
      4 Glimmervoid
      1 Tolarian Academy
      1 Gemstone Mine
      1 Expedition Map

      Fast Mana
      1 Black Lotus
      1 Lotus Petal
      1 Mox Emerald
      1 Mox Jet
      1 Mox Pearl
      1 Mox Ruby
      1 Mox Sapphire
      3 Mox Opal
      1 Chrome Mox
      1 Mana Crypt
      1 Sol Ring
      1 Mana Vault
      1 Grim Monolith

      Draw Engine
      1 Ancestral Recall
      1 Timetwister
      1 Wheel of Fortune
      4 Thoughtcast
      4 Paradoxical Outcome

      Disruption
      1 Balance
      1 Repeal
      1 Flusterstorm
      3 Mental Misstep
      4 Force of Will

      Combo/Tutors
      1 Time Vault
      1 Voltaic Key
      2 Sensei's Divining Top
      1 Demonic Tutor
      2 Trinket Mage
      2 Cunning Wish
      1 Tezzeret the Seeker

      Good Stuff
      1 Time Walk
      1 Snapcaster Mage

      Sideboard – Wish Board
      1 Brain Freeze
      1 Vampiric Tutor
      1 Dig Through Time
      1 Nature's Claim
      1 Swords to Plowshares
      1 Ravenous Trap
      1 Mindbreak Trap
      1 Hurkyl's Recall

      Sideboard – Other
      1 Grafdigger's Cage
      1 Tormod's Crypt
      1 Pithing Needle
      1 Rest in Peace
      1 Moat
      1 Tinker
      1 Blightsteel Colossus

      posted in Single-Card Discussion
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: Paradoxical Outcome vs Mind's Desire

      I went 7-0 (14-3) with a Paradoxical Outcome deck last night and won the Cardhoarder season championship series finals event. The list I played is here: http://www.gatherling.com/deck.php?mode=view&id=43480. I don't think there is anything especially attractive or egregious with the list, which focuses on Tezzeret in game 1 and Mentor in sideboard games. I think I had two turn-one kills. I beat WW in round 1, Shops in round 2, Grixis Control in round 3 (forfeit win off a disconnect), and UW mentor decks in rounds 4-7 (two of which had Delver and a full Wasteland package). What to bring in is usually obvious in the matchups. For sideboarding, I'll limit my sideboarding comments to my blue decks matchup where I usually took out around seven cards among Chain, Vampiric, a Top, a Key, a Monolith, Snapcaster, and Tezzeret (sometimes two), and Jar. This was the first time I had ever cast Mentor - a.k.a., Mr. Staples button - before. My daughter told me to name the deck after Zeno, a Greek philosopher (mentor) whom she informed me was the master of paradoxes. My deepest appreciation to Cardhoarder for the sponsorship (a Black Lotus!)

      posted in Vintage Strategy
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad

    Latest posts made by BazaarOfBaghdad

    • RE: VSL Season 9 Thread

      What happened to the Finals? Was it scheduled for next week?

      posted in Vintage Tournaments
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: [M19] Desecrated Tomb

      I was fully envisioning a couple of Ancient Tombs somewhere in the 75 when I wrote my original post, even for a Dredge deck. I also briefly thought of Workshop the card, but not as a fitting into that archetype. Pretty cool Stax list.

      posted in Single-Card Discussion
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • [M19] Desecrated Tomb

      Desecrated Tomb
      Artifact - 3
      Whenever one or more creature cards leave your graveyard, create a 1/1 black Bat creature token with flying.

      This seems like it has Dredge or Survival potential, and can even be maindecked by either with not much retooling of the mana. It majorly protects against graveyard exile effects (too late with your Rest in Peace? death by bats.), but even proactively works with the dredge mechanic itself as cards move to hand or to play. Nice synergy with old Squee, if that's a thing. It's a new avenue of attack for grindy games.

      posted in Single-Card Discussion
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: Hollow One

      @wfain Of course, but was the madness ability enough to push it over the top?

      posted in Decks
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: Hollow One

      @wfain Does Asylum Visitor compare favorably to Dark Confidant? AV seems pretty awesome in Bazaar lists (no personal pun intended).

      posted in Decks
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: Team Vintage League

      @evouga Last week was a huge step up. Rich drew and played very well. In losing efforts, I dare say most of his opponents played even better. I second evouga on the commentary comments.

      Congrats to Randy. This format, while not true Vintage, is much more fresh and enjoyable to watch, while keeping all the traditional Vintage themes.

      posted in Vintage Community
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: MTGO

      @chronatog WotC has clarified over and over again that the ticket has no market value. I'm fairly certain you agree to such when you agree to the end-use license agreement. Just because you have the power to unload such on ebay or paypal doesn't mean you have the right. Of course, just because WotC says something is of no value, doesn't mean the IRS won't determine otherwise, but until the IRS does, WotC has no interest in stating otherwise.

      posted in Vintage Community
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: MTGO

      Leovold brings up several good points. I wouldn't treat it as income unless it actually were income. For example, in my $7,500 above, I probably only invested close to $1,000 beforehand. The rest were prizes or card investments. Secondly, I cashed out with a check from MTGO Traders. Since that could have been reported, it's more important to self-report. Last, I don't tend to agree that "if they can't trace it, I don't have to report it" meets ethical norms. YMMV.

      posted in Vintage Community
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: MTGO

      @chronatog MTGO prizes are in digital objects of no value. Only if you "cash out" do you realize reportable income. FWIW, when I sold off $7500 worth of digital cards last year, I reported those on my taxes.

      posted in Vintage Community
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad
    • RE: Team Vintage League

      Last night was the worst play level of Vintage that I've seen in the 8 seasons. The format is fantastic though (and a factor in the play level, admittedly).

      posted in Vintage Community
      BazaarOfBaghdad
      BazaarOfBaghdad