“The format starts on turn 1” is the mantra for this week’s episode and we’re looking at everything through that lens including our current picture of the top commons, some takes from last week we need to walk back, and a ten minute conversation about one card that Ben just can’t believe the data about!
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#LCI #LCIDraft #MTGLCI #MTGArena
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Great ep…probably. I’m still in the pre-roll ads! Looking forward to it.
Format definitely starts on turn 1
I would describe it as "Pressure Playing". Whoever has Pressure first wins most of the time. Why? Because you don't run out of cards if you build your aggro/beatdown/aggro-control deck well. In most other formats you can wether the storm, mostly because the aggressor runs out of steam at some point. So the defendant stabilizes at 4 health. But in this Format you have so many very efficient creatures(especially those 1/1 flyers for 1) geared up with incidental equipment that at some point the pressure becomes to much. All that paired with the intrinsic advantage of getting to react to, more often than not, forced plays.
I think if you build your deck with lots of artifacts, Etali's favor often IS an artifact. That might be a big part of why it works, just rectangle theory stuff stapled onto what you were already wanting to do.
Had a game where OP removed my Zoetic Glyph before damage which discovered into Etali's Favor which discovered into Abrade and removed a blocker which would have traded with my other attacker, which then trampled over for 4. Card is fun
Wow RW is the best archetype again imagine my shock great work Wizards rnd!
A slight effect I think is overlooked with discover, is you filter the lands out of the top deck, which could be good in some situations
Love etalis favor, it’s amazing on gem guard and alllllll the fliers that exist, and you already get the free card so you’re not losing a card like with normal auras and with the format being aggressive hitting the etalis favor into an abrade feels insane
I think you're overlooking the impact of Trample in this set. With all the 1-drops and rectangles, being able to trample over them with Etali's Favor is big game. That's why Staggering Size is the top performing green common according to 17Lands.
I’m tired of pushed 1 drops for limited. I’m tired of play/draw being so important, and I’m tired of opening hands being so important.
Etali’s favor May not be an artifact, but every single on of my other three drops is XD
So,I haven’t gotten to listen yet, but just responding to the possibly click baiting title…
I’d say it’s not particularly the fastest… although are lots of solid things to do here on turns 1 and 2. So you shouldn’t be a complete dreamer and ignore the one drops…
Just “follow the rules of engagement” like in brothers war. Make sure you’re truly affecting the board early game. Some of those “two drop artifacts that dont really do that much until i craft them later on” shouldnt be your priority plays on turn two. Even though i think we all fall in love with them. (Exception: shout out to tithing blade that can really catch decent two drop creatures on turn two if OP misses their one drop)
I’ve been not really getting into blue all that much this format because of this even though everyone says it’s a good color. The lower costed good blue creatures are so obviously good that theyre never going around and ive been finding myself more in the marduncolors with greedy freebooters, goblin tmb raiders, miners quidewings always so readily available
Completely disagree with grasping shadows. It’s been great in every deck I’ve played it. It’s a draw 3 that buys time for itself with lifelink. If you’re agro it let’s you push through blockers with death touch. It also incentivizes them trading for your larger creatures which fuels your descend.
Obviously you need to be affecting the board already. But a 3 power 3 drop into grasp is pretty big. Or even if you’re just swinging a token in, it’s giving some chip life drain and letting you draw cards.
Cogwork Wrestler is also great at turning off deathtouch creatures
Odd to hear you're still down on Echo of Dusk (in Descend decks specifically) just because its a low curve format and lifegain helps bridge the gap. I wouldn't say its a high pick, but am i crazy to think its more than base filler?
To be clear, "mana curve" doesn't actually refer to the shape of the deck – it refers to the probability curve of playing your spells on time. The concept was developed for RDW.
The first time I saw an Etali's Favor resolve a second Etali's Favor I thought to myself "No way, there must be something on this card that prevents this sort of thing." But I read it again and there wasn't
Slight missed opportunity in the thumbnail not using Roman numerals so it'd still fit the anagram of the set code.
This is a Artifact matters kind Set, with OP theme on Jeskai colors
I've been struggling with the "how do you pivot if Jeskai is not open" question myself. The conclusion I've come to is to prioritize the blue and red pieces, and then you have an offramp to get into blue-black descend or red-green, which I would consider the viable backup plan archetypes.
MTGA BO1 ruined the draft format
I wish you had a word on sweepers like Malicious Eclipse and Calamitous Cave-In
oh no, it turned out exactly as expected, another format turned into a 1 drop shitfest because wotc can't keep their fingers off the power button.
putting so much text on one and two drops is ruining limited for me.
I had a red green dino two days ago in a real life private draft. I absolutely crushed everyone. I played about 20 matches and only lost 2 of them. Played against every opponents I drafted with. And I can say that etalis favor was absoluely amazing, granting my hammerskulls or other non trample big hitters trample and always hitting other 2/3 drops or removal, I only drafted one and passed the other one and regretted a lot to only have one. Tbf I had two hammerskulls and two one drop dorks which led me to often have a 6/6 on turn 2. With so many players playing removal for low toughness creatures (like deadweight, torch…) my big dinos were just untouchable. I won pretty much every round in 5min
I think what you are missing with discover in for example etali’s favor is that it often can be an artifact or has synergy with whatever your deck is based around as you get to cast that other card in your deck.
Bo3 feels a lot slower to me on arena, i’ve 3-0 meme decked a lot with things like caves, the 8 drop living death, and heavy descend decks.
Also, I told you guys Grasping Shadows was bad ^^!! I think in general, 4drops that ask you to attack but don’t really help you with it, just like those hill giants, are not good in limited anymore.
It troubles me a bit that most of the content creators play pretty much bo1 on Arena. And I do Wonder how accurate are the takes from it for someone who plays mostly paper and tries To prepare for big tournaments. Do you guys think there is a big difference here in pod draft?
I've been beaten by Grasping Shadows while playing with aggressive artifact decks. Of course they need some cheap interaction to go with it(torch in RB e.g.) but i'm not sure it is THAT bad…
I disagree with the assessment of grasping shadows. It has never performed poorly. I also play exclusively paper magic so my opinion is skewed away from best of one.
I do agree that green's niche is large land creatures with trample. Against anyone else, the blue/white flyers gums up the ground with tokens and will outrace , but that just doesn't fly against staggering size.
Nice to hear Ben say he has a 50% WR. I don't even feel like I've been doing badly but just not quite getting there
I think you guys undervalue tidebinder. Almost everything comes in with some kinda ability now a days. Plus stopping crafting , or a random huatli flipping
Another great episode! Not sure if the 17lands draft logs support this, but it would be nice if the round table screenshots didn’t have the pick highlighted already.
Etali's Favor data does look good. However it has a negative IWD and a late 'average taken at'.
This also means that the card can be taken after other, even better, cards, which pushes its win rates when played with the even better cards.
So, does the data say the card is good? Probably yes
Does the data say its the best red common? Absolutely not
Again suggesting Green as worst color when stats clearly show otherwise, just incredible.
Are you guys not experiencing the absolute thrashing I am from green decks? I keep trying these low cost white deck strategies and I am absolutely getting dominated by Dinos curving out.