The Like/Hate Thread

[Ashe]

Touché Ashe.

I was hoping to piss you off into a long, passionate (that is, not boring), and detailed explanation about the intricacies of Magic, which I could read so that I could kick this guy's ass.

You didn't deliver. =(

Haha... That's why I made my trolling comment. Because your first post appeared while I was online and I immediately felt the urge to say stuff.

Anyway, I'm guessing the guy has a casual Orzhov deck full of stuff like Blind Hunter or other things that drain life off his opponent into himself. Without knowing what type of deck you are playing, its kinda hard to give any advice. I can only really suggest that for Pillory of the Sleepless that you use any card with the words "Destroy" and "enchantment" on it. If he's playing those walls they use, I think its called Souls of the Faultless or something equally "gothic" (that's kinda the theme that particular guild went for in regards to the guild setting they used for that set/block), then hold your removal for those so you can get in there.

If he gave you a deck with nothing but a few creatures and no removal/counterspells/etc some combination of control cards, then punch him in the face. And I hope he's not playing Angel of Despair (5/5 flying, cost something near 7 or 8 mana mixing black and white, when it comes into play it destroys a target permanent).

Part of it is going to depend though entirely on if he gave you a deck tailored to lose to his, but throw up some bits on the deck you are using and I'll try to help out. If you are playing some type of burn deck or red based deck, don't throw any of the burn spells to the face. Always use them to get his creatures off the board. Only throw them at his face if you are stockpiling them to the point where you can mathmatically win.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is called "card advantage". That essentially means that you want to get deeper into your deck than he does (meaning if you end the game with 28 cards left in your deck and he has 36, you have had access to 8 more of your spells than he has, meaning 8 more options and ways to affect the game). It also means that if you do something, you want to think of what it took to get there. Wrath of God (Destroys all creatures) when he has four creatures on the board is a 4 for 1. Meaning you got rid of four of his cards (meaning four turns worth of draws and tapping mana to play them) for a single card costing 4 mana. Playing stuff like Pillory or Pacifism counts as removal too, as a 1 for 1 (unless they have put some type of beneficial enchantment onto their guy, let's just say Holy Strength or something that boost there guy) which then means you have nullified 2 cards with 1 card. Their investment becomes worth less.

Get the most out of each card they play, and don't be that guy that does something like Dark Ritual (instant, adds three black to your pool), another Dark Ritual, and another Dark Ritual (totaling to 7 black) to drop something like Lord of the Pit (7/7 flying for 7 that forces you to either sac a creature that isn't him during your upkeep or tap him and take 7 damage from him, really bad card in today's game) just to have the opponent untap and play Pacifism (two mana white enchantment that does like Pillory minus the life loss effect) on it (essentially getting rid of four cards with one card; that is three Dark Rits and the Pitlord, leaving you to STILL have to pay that upkeep of saccing a guy or taking 7 damage).

EDIT: Sufficiently nerdy enough?