About the combo, I don't know if im missing something but if you cast the Grand Architect on turn 3, use it to cast a Pili-Pala with haste (due to Lightning Mauler's soulbond), don't you need another blue mana to make him a blue creature and actually get the combo going?, so the combo becomes actually a 4 card one on turn 3 because of the need of Birds of Paradise or Wild Cantor?
About the combo, I don't know if im missing something but if you cast the Grand Architect on turn 3, use it to cast a Pili-Pala with haste (due to Lightning Mauler's soulbond), don't you need another blue mana to make him a blue creature and actually
I'm rather new to this place, where does "Nath'd" come from? Nath of the Gilt-Leaf doesn't look particularly ninja-y to me.
inb4 10 pages of people accusing JVL of laziness and demanding a new writer for BoaB.I'm rather new to this place, where does "Nath'd" come from? Nath of the Gilt-Leaf doesn't look particularly ninja-y to me.
I hate to add negative feedback, but I'm also missing something regarding this turn 3 infinite mana combo in modern. I'm hoping there is a line in the article that randomly got deleted, something like : Turn 1: BoP
or Turn 1: random blue creature, Turn 2: Lightning Mauler, Turn 3: Grand Architect, Pila-Pala with soulbound, then attack with pila-pala on turn three and then tap the random blue creature for the two mana to untap pila-pala to make a blue mana to make pila-pala blue then tap it for two mana, untap it for one mana, tap, untap, tap....
I'm thinking this is what JVL meant because in the article it said "Turn 2: Lightning Mauler (no soulbound)." If Mauler was the only creature on the battlefield, he wouldn't have to mention that there was nothing to soulbound (bind?) it with.
Regardless, this is the third time in recent memory that this series of articles simply punted -- and they're just mental lapses like knowing what cards are banned in modern and which swords are in M11 and not available for standard.
I really wish the webteam as a group would own up to this because at this point its not just JVL's fault. Putting a small disclaimer on the begining of an article isn't the best way to handle this, they're just throwing them under the bus, which is not a great way to run a team or a department or a company. Work as a team Someone else should have caught this
I hate to add negative feedback, but I'm also missing something regarding this turn 3 infinite mana combo in modern. I'm hoping there is a line in the article that randomly got deleted, something like : Turn 1: BoP or Turn 1: random blue creature, T
I'm rather new to this place, where does "Nath'd" come from? Nath of the Gilt-Leaf doesn't look particularly ninja-y to me.
It's short for "Sarnath'd" A user by the name of Sarnath would often beat people to the punch on the forums of MiseTings , a magic humor site. He did this so often that the saying Sarnath'd, and later Nath'd, came to mean someone's exact post or opinion had been posted earlier in the forum, usually right before the nath's persons post
I'm rather new to this place, where does "Nath'd" come from? Nath of the Gilt-Leaf doesn't look particularly ninja-y to me.[/quote]It's short for "Sarnath'd"A user by the name of Sarnath would often beat people to
About the combo, I don't know if im missing something but if you cast the Grand Architect on turn 3, use it to cast a Pili-Pala with haste (due to Lightning Mauler's soulbond), don't you need another blue mana to make him a blue creature and actually get the combo going?, so the combo becomes actually a 4 card one on turn 3 because of the need of Birds of Paradise or Wild Cantor?
I don't get what the Lightning Mauler is supposed to be adding. Instead of paying 2 for Mauler on turn 2, why not just cast the darn Pili-Pala. Then it will already be unsick by turn 3. In fact then the combo works better that way (read: at all) because you can attack with Pili-Pala, use architect's mana to untap him to get blue mana to make him blue and untapped, and then go off. Lightning Mauler has nothing to do with it.
I mean, is it just me or does this whole concept make no sense? Late April Fools?
I don't get what the Lightning Mauler is supposed to be adding. Instead of paying 2 for Mauler on turn 2, why not just cast the darn Pili-Pala. Then it will already be unsick by turn 3. In fact then the combo works better that way (read: at all) be
I really wish the webteam as a group would own up to this because at this point its not just JVL's fault. Putting a small disclaimer on the begining of an article isn't the best way to handle this, they're just throwing them under the bus, which is not a great way to run a team or a department or a company. Work as a team Someone else should have caught this
It's a silly error, one that doesn't affect the article. It was just a musings. I hopped on the hatewagon until right before preview week, because he actually changed his article based on our emails (and developed a deck an extra week), and got praise for it. If he continues to change, I'll be glad to let him stay. If he develops one of these preview decks after preview week constraints, I would be humbly thankful.
It's a silly error, one that doesn't affect the article. It was just a musings. I hopped on the hatewagon until right before preview week, because he actually changed his article based on our emails (and developed a deck an extra week), and got prais
I don't get what the Lightning Mauler is supposed to be adding. Instead of paying 2 for Mauler on turn 2, why not just cast the darn Pili-Pala. Then it will already be unsick by turn 3. In fact then the combo works better that way (read: at all) because you can attack with Pili-Pala, use architect's mana to untap him to get blue mana to make him blue and untapped, and then go off. Lightning Mauler has nothing to do with it.
I mean, is it just me or does this whole concept make no sense? Late April Fools?
So that you can drop Pili-Pala and Grand Architect in the same turn, without either of them being vulnerable to a sorcery. Only instants will ruin your day on turn 3 if you use Lightning Mauler. Assuming of course you dropped a 1 mana blue creature on turn 1. Tap GA to cast PP, pair PP to LM to give it haste, attack with PP, tap your first creature to untap PP and generate a blue mana, use the blue to turn PP blue, then PP can do its self-perpetuating awesomeness.
So that you can drop Pili-Pala and Grand Architect in the same turn, without either of them being vulnerable to a sorcery. Only instants will ruin your day on turn 3 if you use Lightning Mauler. Assuming of course you dropped a 1 mana blue creature o
About the combo, I don't know if im missing something but if you cast the Grand Architect on turn 3, use it to cast a Pili-Pala with haste (due to Lightning Mauler's soulbond), don't you need another blue mana to make him a blue creature and actually get the combo going?, so the combo becomes actually a 4 card one on turn 3 because of the need of Birds of Paradise or Wild Cantor?
I don't get what the Lightning Mauler is supposed to be adding. Instead of paying 2 for Mauler on turn 2, why not just cast the darn Pili-Pala. Then it will already be unsick by turn 3. In fact then the combo works better that way (read: at all) because you can attack with Pili-Pala, use architect's mana to untap him to get blue mana to make him blue and untapped, and then go off. Lightning Mauler has nothing to do with it.
I mean, is it just me or does this whole concept make no sense? Late April Fools?
The Problem is that Pili-Pala is 1) an obvious Combo Piece, b) an Artifact and c) a Creature with Toughness 1 and d) Power equal to it's toughness. Ergo, there are about a bazillion Solutions for your Opponent to apply in the time between you playing it and your next turn. The Goal is to cast innocent Creatures like Lightning Mauler and Grand Architect and to go off instantly without giving your Opponent a chance to respond.
But yeah, another blue mana is needed to go off on turn three. But, as Invaderkrag points out (Welcome to the forums, btw), any blue Creature (or a Creature that can produce itself) can do this.
Oh, and Kudos on the Webteam for making the Card Images for not-yet-released Cards work in the decklist (but sadly not in the sample hand Generator).
I don't get what the Lightning Mauler is supposed to be adding. Instead of paying 2 for Mauler on turn 2, why not just cast the darn Pili-Pala. Then it will already be unsick by turn 3. In fact then the combo works better that way (read: at all) be
Oh, and Kudos on the Webteam for making the Card Images for not-yet-released Cards work in the decklist (but sadly not in the sample hand Generator).
Also sadly not cards with apostrophes in. In this case it's Avacyn's Pilgrim , but the issue has been a problem for ages - at least a couple of weeks now. Urza's Rage is building, Alexi's Cloak is swishing threateningly... Okay, that's weird, those two work but Avacyn's Pilgrim doesn't?
Gatherer has been having problems with apostrophes too, in what I suspect is not an unrelated event: Searching for "Urza's Armor" doesn't work where it used to.
Yeah, nice-looking deck, and a card with more subtlety to it than might be expected.Also sadly not cards with apostrophes in. In this case it's Avacyn's Pilgrim , but the issue has been a problem for ages - at least
So you guys are saying that JvL recommends adding an extra color and turning 3-card combos into 5-card combos so that your deck will be slightly more suprising to Modern opponents who don't play instants. Sheesh!
Sorry Jacob, I was just going to say you over-shilled a mediocre card. But with supporters like these, who needs detractors!
So you guys are saying that JvL recommends adding an extra color and turning 3-card combos into 5-card combos so that your deck will be slightly more suprising to Modern opponents who don't play instants. Sheesh! Sorry Jacob, I was just going to sa
I agree with Amar that this is not a good application of this card (Pili-Pala/Grand Architect/Lightning Mauler). In Modern on T2, I'd much rather play Lightning Greaves than Mauler. If your opponent has instant removal, then mauler is gone while Pili-Pala is on the stack being cast. If they don't then Greaves will equip the fragile little critter and protect it in future turns as well as being able to shift to another creature. So all around Greaves beats out Mauler hands down in Modern (doesn't extend mana base to include another color, not one shot like soulbond is, continued targeted protection).
I agree with Amar that this is not a good application of this card (Pili-Pala/Grand Architect/Lightning Mauler). In Modern on T2, I'd much rather play Lightning Greaves than Mauler. If your opponent has instant removal, then mauler is gone while Pi
Also he says that a 2/1 haste for R1 isnt constructed playable. I would like to disagree. For one, we havent had a 2 mana haste mono red guy with no drawbacks. If goblin warbuggy was playable why wouldnt it be playable without the echo. I actually think a 2/2 haste for R1 or even a 2/1 haste would be in alot of red deck wins.
Also he says that a 2/1 haste for R1 isnt constructed playable. I would like to disagree. For one, we havent had a 2 mana haste mono red guy with no drawbacks. If goblin warbuggy was playable why wouldnt it be playable without the echo. I actually th
In limited, I think a lack of patience will often be useful and interesting. Imagine this, you have a single 3/3 on the board and your opponent has a 4/4. You play Lightning Mauler, pair it with the 3/3 and attack with both. How does your opponent block? Killing the 3/3 would be the normal play if Lightning Mauler were a standard 2/1 haste creature, but it isn't. Depending upon the score and cards, this might be exactly what you want your opponent to do, as blocking the 3/3 will leave Lightning Mauler unpaired, meaning any biggy you play next turn will have haste.
In limited, I think a lack of patience will often be useful and interesting. Imagine this, you have a single 3/3 on the board and your opponent has a 4/4. You play Lightning Mauler, pair it with the 3/3 and attack with both. How does your opponent
Also he says that a 2/1 haste for R1 isnt constructed playable. I would like to disagree. For one, we havent had a 2 mana haste mono red guy with no drawbacks. If goblin warbuggy was playable why wouldnt it be playable without the echo. I actually think a 2/2 haste for R1 or even a 2/1 haste would be in alot of red deck wins.
The drawback is that it requires you to control another creature if you want it to have haste when you play it (otherwise there's nothing to...soulbind?).
The drawback is that it requires you to control another creature if you want it to have haste when you play it (otherwise there's nothing to...soulbind?).
Someone else should have caught this 
