Upcoming t2 once again - UB

I tried to figure out what to do with my UW Splicer/Venser deck and came up with the conclusion that it either needs to be more aggro - thus playing creatures that would make difference (rather little ones.. - up to cmc4. there could be either mega fast version with memnites and such or slower one with hero of bladehold for example or golems, but I find those too expensive and slow) or play more control. I'm somewhere in the middle and that might not be the best. I wanted to try Phyrexian Metamorph and Oblivion Ring/or more counterspells. In the end I gave up (I made changes to the deck though) and started trying to figure out what else to build.

I wanted to exchange counterspells with discard because the counterspells started to annoy me more and more. I also had problems with other 'walkers when they resolved and occasional oblivion ring wasn't enough. So I decided to ignore that and try to play more annoying cards myself. In the end I ended up with something playing Grave Titan, Wurmcoil Engine and some ramp. The only white card left was Blade Splicer so I discarded that one and turn this deck into Forgemaster/Colossus combo.

Well, it is not control and not really a creature aggro either. It needs to be fast and kill via infect. But now it seems that the format will be pretty creature heavy and such a deck might have serious problems dealing with all those creatures. And yes Squadron Hawk is still annoying.

UB

Creatures [8]
1 Blightsteel Colossus
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster
1 Myr Battlesphere
4 Plague Myr
2 Solemn Simulacrum
4 Spellskite
2 Wurmcoil Engine

Planeswalkers [4]
4 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas

Spells [16]
4 Despise
2 Gitaxian Probe
4 Ponder
4 Sphere of the Suns
2 Tezzeret's Gambit

Lands[23]
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Inkmoth Nexus
5 Island
6 Swamp

Funny moment in a game ...

At Festival Fantazie there was one player interested in learning Legend of the Five Rings (people who wanted to learn Magic were scarce as well).

After trying to figure out how the game works with Kyuden Tonbo decks we decided to play with something that actually feels like a deck. At a certain point in the game it got to this =>



I was playing crab but I had Tsuruchi Gidayu in play. I attacked with Gidayu. My opponent did not have any Mantis clan personalities in play. There was only Eijiko, who could defend. The defending player decided to defend but too bad for him, his personality was challenged to a duel in the first action and died in it!

Prototype deck for upcoming t2

Hello, I usually build some silly decks for an upcoming format even without knowing what people would play. (even though sometimes the decks end up being played). Anyway I was trying to figure out what cards could replace Sea Gate Oracles and Wall of Omens and what a new winning condition of a UW deck could be (as Celestial Colonnade will rotate).

I decided to give a try to Blade Splicer, Sun Titan and Venser. I put in few Solemn Simulacrums so it would be easier for me to get my sixth and seventh land. Some card draw, removal and the deck was made.

Anyway I tried playing timely reinforcements so I could deal with decks like kuldotha red. But maybe siding cards like marrow shards, this card or mental misstep could work as well.

So here's my first draft of a deck for the upcoming type 2.

UW

Creatures [8]
4 Blade Splicer
2 Solemn Simulacrum
2 Sun Titan

Planeswalkers [7]
1 Elspeth Tirel
2 Gideon Jura
1 Karn Liberated
3 Venser, the Sojourner

Spells [19]
3 Day of Judgment
2 Dismember
4 Mana Leak
4 Oblivion Ring
3 Ponder
3 Tezzeret's Gambit

Lands [26]
4 Glacial Fortress
5 Island
10 Plains
4 Seachrome Coast
3 Inkmoth Nexus

After playing few games against different decks I realized that this either needs to be more control or more aggro. In the end I ended up with two different decks. One being still UW but with more creatures and the other one being Esper control with one additional card being Grave Titan. I drop this idea later trying to to figure out what I could do with Tezzeret and creatures with infect.

UW

Creatures [19]

4 Blade Splicer
1 Frost Titan
4 Hero of Bladehold
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Solemn Simulacrum
2 Sun Titan
1 Wurmcoil Engine

Planeswalkers [5]
2 Gideon Jura
3 Venser, the Sojourner

Spells [12]
2 Dismember
4 Mana Leak
4 Oblivion Ring
4 Ponder

Lands [24]
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Island
9 Plains
3 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Seachrome Coast

Festival Fantazie

Several years of not attending Festival Fantazie passed. I never imagined that I would end up there once again. Anyway it happened. Outpost had a stand there.

I was supposed to be there with two other people taking care of our store and tournaments at the biggest annual fantasy/sci-fi/gaming convention. In the end there was me and Serwus, who is probably one of the most reliable people I've ever met.

We weren't really prepared for what was coming. We did not expect Magic players to show up nor did we expect to sell much. But Magic players were there and they would be actually buying a lot if we had what they wanted. (so next time we need more shiny stuff^^)

Anyway there were several tournaments - Legacy, Standard twice, SOM Block Draft twice and Trash sealed. On Wednesday we also organized a tournament for beginners with half decks (decks that are given out to beginners that sign up at playmagic.eu)
All the tournaments were successful. There were about 30 people who signed up for Gateway league play even.

I spent most of the time playing Elder Dragon Highlander and standard with the people that came there.

A part from this I played PIU, attended one Kung Fu lesson and participated in two crazy tournaments. Guitar Hero one, which was actually a normal tournament. GH5 was played and actually the songs chosen were nice. I played them later on Expert and the charts were relatively fun (except Du Hast which is pretty boring). But the setlist did not really look interesting to me. After the tournament it did not look THAT BAD to me though. The second tournament was a Remap tournament in ITG. Just map 4 pads somehow and try to finish challenges Xsoft poses on you. It was CRAAAZY. I had to leave early, but the players that ended up on the same place as me decided to give me a medal for it. I should have gotten the GH one too. They are nice.

During the night the real 'party' started. People dancing, drinking, singing and having sex. Hopefully we were upstairs from this and did not really hear that much nor smelled that much. But going down from the stairs was like going through stargate (ending up somewhere completely else). The alcohol odor could be smelled everywhere alongside other smells I can hardly stand and sometimes you had to cross a couple doing well erm something they should be doing elsewhere.

Well, that's all I have to say concerning this convention.

Vodafone story

I want to tell you a story because well I'm tired of it already. I thought that this story ended on July 4th but it did not.

It all started one day when Radek should have transfered his Vodafone number to me. We went to Vodafone together and we tried to get the number transfered. But it all ended in vain. The number wasn't transfered.

Half a year later I got a mail telling me that I should pay for this particular number. Ok, so I paid for it and then I was told that I have to pay twice as much for it for some reason. The reason was a fee for blocking and unblocking the number and some other stuff. Anyway it did not correspond to my tariff nor anything else.

A month later I got (after everything was said to be PAID) an invoice for 1005 CZK. I was like WTF? I should pay 352 CZK per month. I have not used that number ever since and everything was supposed to be in order. Next month, I got the same invoice...They even wanted more the next month 1440CZK. I tried to find out what's wrong and tried to get rid of the tariff at least but I couldn't as it always stated that I can't change it. Even though everything was paid for.

In the end, one day I came there and asked what the hell is going on. The person told me that the tariff is being invoiced twice. But still this did not solve my problems (the person before him, just stated I have to pay this and this). He said he would let me pay 352CZK less next month and that everything should be fine. That there are problems in the system and something like this happens from time to time.

Next month the invoice said 1005CZK once again. I paid for everything and went to Vodafone to let them disable the tariff or something. They told me that it is not possible so I told them to disconnect the number (first person told me that this is not possible, so I tried someone else). They told me that I should pay 352CZK for the last month and that someone would contact me later. I got the phone call, A lady tried to ask me what's wrong and what happened. So I told her and asked her how even the transfer of the number happened. She told me that I (personally) transfered the number in June. I wasn't present at that time nor I had the right to do so as the number was not mine. I also told her about the invoices but she said that everything is correct and that I was supposed to pay that. But why I should I be paying more than the tariff (I was not using the number)? I calculated the sum I paid Vodafone per month - it was something about 650CZK. This is much more than 352CZK per month.

She tried for another ten minutes to convince me to keep the tariff and use the number. But I told her NO. In the end she told me that on 4th of July the number should be disconnected and that I should get my invoice by post then. I didn't get any so I went to Vodafone to ask for it. They told me that I should be able to view it online (I can't) but that they can printed. I got an invoice for 1005.97CZK.

WTF??

So go to hell Vodafone. I liked you the best, but I don't deserve this. I'll continue using your services but I'm NEVER going to sign up for something like this. I'll pay the final invoice and hope that they will not bother me anymore.