Dies to Removal

Quoted from our local Grim Lavamancer:

Thoughts on SCG and Pros

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What do you think of 'pro' players?

My views on pro players are quite controversial, but I assure you that they are based on both talking to and playing against them. I firmly believe there are two types of Pros ~ Good and Bad. Examples of Good Pros: Most Japanese players, LSV, Michael Jacob, Jon Finkel, Brian Kibler. Examples of Bad Pros: the entirety of SCG Blue and Mike Flores (especially Mike Flores). This isn't necessarily two polar extremes, most players fit somewhere on the spectrum between those two points. My issue with the Bad Pros is exactly, that, they're bad. Most of these players are just known players on the SCG circuit, which if you
have not played in it, is like a big FNM ~ the skill level is many levels lower than a GP or even MTGO. Success at an SCG event means very little in the scheme of things.

My greater concern is that it is very much the bad Pros that actively court cults of personality and force their opinions into the public, for less experienced and knowledgeable players to eat up and spout like gospel. Why do they do this? Because they don't win a lot of money playing and they desperately need to supplement their income. A lot of the very best players in the world, like Finkel, Martell and Vidugiris work 50 hour weeks and still frequently Top 32 on the PT. Compare that level of achievement to the SCG Blue team who play magic full time and do....basically nothing? LSV and MJ might be full time players as well, but that is only made possible by the huge amount of success they have had.

The other common misconception is that these Pros are unbeatably good at the game. Kibler went 0-3 (after his byes) drop at
the last modern GP, and 1-3 drop at the one before that ~ and he is a top level, dual PT winning player. They can be beaten, especially the lesser ones. I have won matches against most name players online (except MJ, I have never beaten MJ in a match), and have a crushing record against Todd Anderson, which is fine, because he publicly admitted to bullying his wife to let him become a pro player ~ oh, that's the other thing, the lifestyle is not all its cracked up to be either, unless you're one of the Good Pros.

It is fine and good to respect these people, who educate and entertain us. But when it verges on hero worship, it not only doesn't help your own game develop, but it sets you back greatly ~ how can you beat someone if even in your imagination, they always have the answers?

I somehow forgot about Boros Charm when I was building the SB, what are your thoughts on Boros Charm vs Bx and Rx Devotion? (I know its good vs Control)

Also nice list J_S, you run less redundant cards then I proposed so you'll have a better game vs a diverse field (though MonoU is bad enough to warrant 4 chains imo).

How does MD Boros Charm swing the favor vs Black?

Its just a 1-4-1 or four at dome, I do agree that red is a bad MU for Black - but I can't see how Charm has a massive factor in that outcome.

That's more dubious. I'm inclined to say no since in a matchup where we're taking the control role, 4 to the dome seems meh.

After testing all night, I think this (heavily based on MDU and Z's work, focussing mainly on tuning the SB) is where I want to be:

[deck]Creatures (21)
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Ash Zealot
3 Young Pyromancer
4 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Stormbreath Dragon

Spells (16)
3 Shock
4 Magma Jet
4 Lightning Strike
1 Flames of the Firebrand
2 Chained to the Rocks
2 Chandra, Pyromaster

Lands (23)
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Temple of Triumph
4 Mutavault
11 Mountain

Sideboard (15)
4 Boros Reckoner
1 Rod of Ruin
2 Chained to the Rocks
3 Boros Charm
2 Skullcrack
1 Last Breath
2 Mizzium Mortars[/deck]

The Rod should maybe be another Last Breath? Hard to say. Beating up the four decks I care about (Mono U, Mono
B, Esper, RDW) though. Pretty happy with this list for right now.

Give it a try, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Feels like the States list Dpainne / KhaosSpawn came up with at the start of RTR standard.

Hey Johnny glad to see people are working on the general list, I recalled you had problems during with Bg Devotion with Reapers? I would recommend cutting your Boros Charms to 2x, moving 1 YP$ into the boards and running 1x Pyrewild Shaman MD.

Shaman acts like an expensive YP$ or Chandra's Phoenix, so the cut won't effect your decks overall feel, he will however greatly improve your Gr and Bg Devotion MU.

p.s. I think any list running 3x YP$+ should be in the Pyro thread, while anything running 3x Dragons+ (with 24+ lands of course) should be the Big Boros Thread.

I just lost to what I can only describe as... boros hexproof? FML lol

I just lost to what I can only describe as... boros hexproof? FML lol

Remember some of his list?

MTGO Meta Update: Red, Blue, Green, White and Black everywhere (its a fantastic meta).

Dragons, Demons and Merfolk are still the main enemies which in turn has forced me too pre-board most of my removal as a result the Pyro shell didn't provide enough punch to get around my lack of threats thus I've now return back to Boros Aggro (aka big boros).

Here is my current list, I'm still trying to steal/borrow [card]Legion's Initiative[/card] (I refuse to pay $3 for a card which I think is bad, but want to test) from someone so I'm currently playing 1 random wacky card.

[deck=MDU's Boros Aggro]Lands 25
12 Mountains
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Temple of Triumph
4 Mutavault
1 Boros Guildgate

nCreatures 20
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Ash Zealot
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Stormbreath Dragon

Spells 10
4 Magma Jet
4 Lightning Strike
2 Mizzium Mortars

Enchantments 5
4 Chained to the Rocks
1 Assemble the Legion

Sideboard 15
3 Boros Reckoner
2 Last Breath
1 Haunted Plate Mail
1 Rod of Ruin
2 Boros Charm
3 Skullcrack
1 Assemble the Legion
2 Mizzium Mortars[/deck]

So far I've played one 2-man (vs Ux Devotion 2-1) and one 8-man (vs Boros Devo 2-1, Gr Devo 2-0 and the last round is unknown)

No Chandra???

Quoted from our local Grim Lavamancer:

Thoughts on SCG and Pros

---

What do you think of 'pro' players?

My views on pro players are quite controversial, but I assure you that they are based on both talking to and playing against them. I firmly believe there are two types of Pros ~ Good and Bad. Examples of Good Pros: Most Japanese players, LSV, Michael Jacob, Jon Finkel, Brian Kibler. Examples of Bad Pros: the entirety of SCG Blue and Mike Flores (especially Mike Flores). This isn't necessarily two polar extremes, most players fit somewhere on the spectrum between
those two points. My issue with the Bad Pros is exactly, that, they're bad. Most of these players are just known players on the SCG circuit, which if you have not played in it, is like a big FNM ~ the skill level is many levels lower than a GP or even MTGO. Success at an SCG event means very little in the scheme of things.

My greater concern is that it is very much the bad Pros that actively court cults of personality and force their opinions into the public, for less experienced and knowledgeable players to eat up and spout like gospel. Why do they do this? Because they don't win a lot of money playing and they desperately need to supplement their income. A lot of the very best players in the world, like Finkel, Martell and Vidugiris work 50 hour weeks and still frequently Top 32 on the PT. Compare that level of achievement to the SCG Blue team who play magic full time and do....basically nothing? LSV and MJ might be full time players as well, but that is only made possible by the huge amount of
success they have had.

The other common misconception is that these Pros are unbeatably good at the game. Kibler went 0-3 (after his byes) drop at the last modern GP, and 1-3 drop at the one before that ~ and he is a top level, dual PT winning player. They can be beaten, especially the lesser ones. I have won matches against most name players online (except MJ, I have never beaten MJ in a match), and have a crushing record against Todd Anderson, which is fine, because he publicly admitted to bullying his wife to let him become a pro player ~ oh, that's the other thing, the lifestyle is not all its cracked up to be either, unless you're one of the Good Pros.

It is fine and good to respect these people, who educate and entertain us. But when it verges on hero worship, it not only doesn't help your own game develop, but it sets you back greatly ~ how can you beat someone if even in your imagination, they always have the answers?

No offense
but I think this guy's opinion is stupid rather than controversial. It's kinda off topic so I won't go into it.

@MDU

Would you elaborate on Legions Initiative and Haunted Plate for me/us? I assume the plate is for a late game finisher but what is legions for especially as a one of? Just to get damage in if its played early enough?

The Plate was just a filler card while I waited to steal LI, in theory plate was meant to be card which punishes players which run tons of sorc speed removals and sweepers (like Naya Control).

[card]Legion's Initiative[/card] is pretty much my third Boros Charm except it can help you dodge enchantments, Shrivel effects and Exile effects
while also having stupid Synergy with the tokens which Assemble the Legion produces.

Is 23 lands too low for three dragons?